The lonely stag
by Laudys
Summary: What if Stannis's destiny was different? What if he had made the right choices, at the right moment? Just a personal vision of what should have been. Rated M for violence/sex scenes.
1. Chapter 1

"Those who understand the true nature of humanity are always loners"

Dean Cavanagh

He was standing still, staring at the unrelenting sea: shivers were running up and down his spine, his stomach was painfully knot. He was safe, in Dragonstone, but terrified, and fascinated by what was occurring in front of him. The sea had turned dark, a darkness only enlightened by the white foam. The waves were breaking against the rocks with terrible sounds, the wind was howling like a desperate pack of wolves. A storm like that had taken his parents away from him when he was just a child. A child who had forgotten how to smile, and who never learnt how to laugh. He suddenly wondered if things would have been different if his parents had lived. If he could have been happy. Has he ever been? He grinded his teeth.

"Your grace?"

He didn't turn around:

"Ser Davos", he greeted.

"Have you made up your mind?..." the old smuggler carefully asked.

Davos was staring at the man in front of him, at his king. But his quest was almost failing. Stannis Baratheon needed allies. Of course, he never would agree on that point but the fact was that it was true. He was the rightful king of Westeros, he knew it, since that message from Eddard Stark had reached them. Robert's children were not his. They were born from a monstrous incest between Cersei and Jaime Lannister. Sometimes, Davos was wondering how Robert has never seen it, how Stannis and Renly, his younger brothers, had not seen it either: the children were as blonde as a wheat field, and the Baratheons as dark haired as the howling sea. He waited for Stannis's answer, impatient. He wanted, more than anything, to give his King what belonged to him. Stannis had to be reasonnable, and that was not one of his qualities.

"Yes", was the only word that reached him.

Davos held back a relieved sigh. He was right to hold it back, because Stannis turned to him. He wasn't done.

"I don't want to marry again."

Selyse, Stannis's wife, had died almost a year ago. Of course, the situation was different back then: Robert was alive, Stannis was here, in Dragonstone, as a Lord. Joffrey was seen by everybody as the rightful heir, and Stannis's marriage was a fiasco. He didn't want to live that again, he didn't want his only child, Shireen, to have to cope with a mother-in-law who would look at her as if she was a monster. The young girl had already lived that with her own mother, and it had been awful for her. Davos was staring at Stannis, then looked down.

"Your Grace..." he started.

"I know", Stannis interrupted him, clearly annoyed. "I know what you are going to say, Ser Davos."

He turned his back at him, watching the storm again. The wind was less violent, the waves were not as big. A strange feeling of relief overwhelmed him.

"May I speak?" Davos asked after a moment. He was cautious: he knew Stannis could get angry easily. Baratheon have always been hot-blooded. Stannis was very different from Robert though. The eldest stag, when he was angry, was loud and physically violent, ready to charge anyone who would pass by him. That's why he was a great warrior on the battlefield. The younger stag, him, was not expressive and has never been. His anger was suppressed and cold. That's why he was a great tactician. And there was Renly... Renly was handsome, young, nice and lovable. The opposite of his two brothers. Davos knew Stannis couldn't defeat Renly: Renly had friends, allies, and Stannis, the lonely stag, has always despised the others. As a result, now he had to fight for a throne which should be naturally his, he was alone. As an answer to his request, Stannis slightly nodded.

"Your Grace", Davos said, choosing carefully his words. "I am not good at speeches. You know that. I'm a smuggler. I'm not a warrior either. But I know Renly has more men than us. This woman could bring us victory."

"Soldiers will give us victory", Stannis retorted, grinding his teeth again.

"More soldiers will, for sure", Davos retorted back.

"She is just a child", the King said again.

"A child who could give you sons."

Stannis's eyes narrowed and became as dark as night. Davos looked down. Stannis walked to him and stopped right by his side:

"I respect you, Davos Seaworth. You know I do. You have always given me good advices. Yes, you are just a smuggler, but you are more honest with me than all these lords, ready to stab me in the back at the earliest opportunity."

Davos looked up at him: he was moved by what his King had told him but he knew he had to seize this chance:

"Then please, my King, follow my advice one more time. This is our last chance to win the Iron Throne."

For a long moment, the two men stared at each other. None of them looked down, or away. Davos knew it was a test. And he had to hold back a second relieved sigh when the King said:

"Very well. You'll meet her."


	2. Chapter 2

Hi guys!

Please R&R

"Don't be afraid of enemies who attack you. Be afraid of the friends who flatter you"

Dale Carnegie

"You shouldn't marry her... You don't need her, or her family. I know young girls like her, they cheat and lie to get what they want. Your Grace, you are the King. Everyone should bow before you and you don't have to beg for people to support you. You will win this battle, and all the others until you sit on the Iron Throne."

Stannis was listening, sit on his armchair. It was night, and he couldn't sleep. Davos was already gone to see her, but he sent no news, no message. He started to think all this was finally a bad idea.

"A king cannot stay alone. A king needs a wife and an heir", he said.

"But you are not any king, my lord."

From the darkness of the end of the room, she walked closer to him. The lights of the candles were drawing trembling shadows on her face. She smirked at him, and he swallowed hard. Melisandre kneeled before him and laid a hand on his face:

"My Lord, you have been chosen."

She turned around him, laying hands on his shoulders. Stannis looked up: they were in her room, the most strange room he's ever been. It was both dark and enlightened, both freezing and hot. When she touched him, he could feel how hot her hands was and, for a second, he almost suffocated. Ill at ease, he brutally stood up and turned to her.

"I don't have a choice. Davos has gone to negotiate this wedding."

"I know", she says, sitting on his chair. "And I've seen in the flames how all this is going to turn. My Lord, believe me, you are wrong. Follow my advices."

Stannis gritted his teeth and stared at her: 'follow my advice'. Everybody was telling him this stupid sentence, and of course, everybody had a different advice. He felt so lost, so alone. He couldn't show his weakness to Melisandre, or to Davos, or to anyone, not even his daughter. Sometimes, he just wished his life wasn't so hard, that decisions were easy to take. He wished his stupid little brother hasn't decided to fight him for the throne. But he couldn't change what happened. Robert was dead, Ned Stark was dead, Selyse was dead, Robb Stark was rebelling, a bastard was on the throne, a bastard bearing his name, an insult to all of the Baratheons. He turned around from her and closed his eyes for a second: he felt his head was going to explode. It was too hot here, he couldn't breathe anymore. A hand lied on his shoulder, another presented a cup at him. A voice said "Drink". Without even arguing, he took the cup and downed it. He immediately felt better and turned back to face Melisandre. She was looking at him, smiling.

"You are not strong enough, my Lord. Not yet", she added after he glared at her. "Let me help you..."

She undid the lace of her dress and, all of a sudden, she was naked in front of him. He stared at her and, as she raised her hand to touch him, he moved away with a swift movement of his head.

"Don't", he hissed.

As much as his marriage with Selyse was not successful, he had never cheated on her. And as long as he won't get married again, he will not touch another woman. Of course, Melisandre was beautiful, but Stannis was not easily seduced. His principles were stronger than his desire. Melisandre was not easily spurned, though. She smiled again and stroked his cheek. He grabbed her wrist, her skin so hot he thought for a second she had fever, and moved away.

"Lace up your dress, woman", he said, moving away from her.

The soft sound of the fabric and a sigh escaping her lips made him know she was obeying her. 'Good', he thought. He didn't want Melisandre to be another problem he had to deal with. He looked back at her room: different phials were put on wooden shelves. He didn't want to know what was inside them. He felt tired, suddenly. Maybe because of what he had drunken.

"Goodnight", he said, and she nodded and bowed.

He left her room and the sudden fresh air filling his lungs felt like a frozen bath. He gasped slightly, and realized he was sweating. The guards bowed before him as he walked back to his room to sleep. Servants were there. He told them to go, except one, and asked her to prepare a bath for him. 'Cold', he precise. He undressed, only keeping enough clothes to not be embarrassed in front of the servant. When the bath was ready, he sent her away. Alone, he got naked and got in the bath with a sigh of relief. His headache was slowly disappearing and he found himself thinking about the one who could be his wife soon. He was told she was beautiful, smart, a ray of sunshine in the darkness. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine her. But it was useless: all he could see was Renly dead, his army destroyed and him, Stannis, victorious. He didn't want that to happen, but he knew there were no other ways, unless Renly bent the knee and submitted to him. But Baratheons were stubborn, and Renly was following this ancestral tradition. Shall he live to kill his own brother, the last child of his beloved parents? Shall he live to be called brotherslayer, as Jaime Lannister was called Kingslayer? He never loved his brothers, it was not a secret to anyone living in Westeros and even in Essos, to be honest. But killing one of them was another story. He opened his eyes again: the bath had cooled him enough. He stood up, stepped over the bathtub, dried his body and put clothes on. He lied in his bed and closed his eyes, sighing. He fell asleep almost immediately.

In her room, Melisandre was staring at the dancing flames, a smile roving on her lips. The Lord of light was not disappointing her. He never was.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi guys !_

 _First of all, I wanted to thank you for reading/following/favoriting this fanfic. Please do not hesitate MPing me if you have any ideas/suggestions. I know I may often sound OOC, but I never deny constructive criticism. Also, I'd love to have reviews, so don't be shy ;)_

 _In this chapter, we will slightly get away from Stannis to see another POV. Hope you'll enjoy!_

 _"_ Men marry because they are tired, women, because they are curious: both are disappointed"

Oscar Wilde

"I will NOT marry this creepy old man!" the young girl yelled.

"You will do as your Lord and father commands. Don't forget where your place is, young lady", a man, way older than her, spat.

Davos was staring at them, embarrassed as seldom. First, because he barely could bear someone calling his King a "creepy old man". Second, because he didn't want to be involved in a fight. He looked at the young girl, his father staring at her as well. In the room, next to them, were young men, with beautiful clothes, and an old woman. What Davos called an old woman, not Stannis's age. She was looking at her granddaughter, shaking her head softly. The eldest man turned to Davos, as if he only noticed he was here.

"So, what is Stannis Baratheon's terms, Ser…?" he asked.

 _Not even able to remember my name_ , Davos thought. He smiled as nicely as he could.

"Davos. Davos Seaworth. The King…"

"He's not the King yet, as far as I know", the young girl said, staring at him, her arms crossed on her chest.

"He will be, my Lady. He is the rightful heir."

"Joffrey Baratheon is the rightful heir", she insisted.

"Oh please, darling, be silent", the old woman spat. "Joffrey is as much a Baratheon as I am. Go on, Ser", she nicely smiled at him.

Davos bowed and spoke again:

"His Grace knows your relationships have not always been good. You besieged Storm's End, you were on the Targaryen's side. And then you surrendered to Robert. Stannis is ready to forgive the past and to focus on the future. He wants to build a strong alliance with your house, and which alliance is better than a wedding?"

"But he is OLD. And I don't want to marry an old man", the young girl moaned again.

Davos turned to her:

"As far as I know, you were ready to marry Robert, who was older than Stannis", he argued.

She opened her mouth to say something, seemed to think about it and smirked triumphantly:

"At least Robert was handsome."

"Stannis may not be handsome, but he is the King. Or he will be soon. I heard you wanted to be THE queen", Davos retorted.

He hated when people attacked Stannis. He hardly dealt with it. He touched, as a reflex, his phalanxes, the ones Stannis had cut off as a punishment for being a smuggler. _Please_ , he begged, _please bring me luck. Don't let me disappoint him._ Davos looked up at the girl: she had not replied, she was looking at him with a smirk. Almost a nice smile.

"You look very devoted to your king, Ser", she said again.

"I am. He is the best man I've ever know", he said and before she had time to reply, he turned to her father, "Stannis proposes also your son Loras to become the Lord Commander of his Kingsguard."

Loras looked up at him and hardly held back a broad grin. Mace Tyrell, though, looked down. Davos knew he had to play on this.

"Lord Tyrell, I have sons too. 7. Thanks to Stannis, they can read, write, fight. They'll be knights one day, may the Gods hear me. I know it's a sacrifice to see one of his children renouncing to get married, have heirs, sons who will carry on your name. But your son Loras is one of the best warriors in the Seven Kingdoms. Stannis knows it. He wants to reward his exceptional gift with what could fit him the best. Your son is born to fight, Lord Tyrell. You know it as much as I do. But you have two other sons who will be able to give you heirs."

Mace was listening at him and he glanced at Loras: he was proud of what Davos said, he could see it. He nodded at Davos.

"Very well. We accept those terms."

Davos closed his eyes for a second, his heart jumping in his chest. It was done. He hadn't failed Stannis. They went on talking for a moment, sharing a cup of wine, until they all agreed that Stannis would come to Highgarden for the ceremony. It has to be done quickly. Mace Tyrell didn't protest when Davos, quite embarrassed, precised that Stannis wanted to be sure that Margaery was still a virgin. She heard that and protested loudly but Mace and Olenna, her grandmother, made her be quiet. They knew it was nothing against her. Stannis was, by nature, a defying man. Davos added that if she was not a virgin, the wedding would be simply cancelled. He silently prayed that she was. Stannis didn't have many suitors. Davos then tried to calm Margaery down, tried to tell her about Stannis's qualities but she walked away from him and started to beg her father, crying. Mace told Davos he could go and he bowed and walked out, still hearing Margaery protesting and crying.

She ran away as soon as she could and locked herself in her room. Watching by the window, she was staring at Highgarden. Her country, her land. Tears were streaming on her face. Why did she have to be born as a woman? Men had all the rights in this world. Women had only the right of obeying. Obeying their father, obeying their King, obeying their husband. Husband… She couldn't believe her father had wanted to sell her to Robert, then he thought about Renly and finally, there she was, sold to Stannis Baratheon, the most sinister man in the Seven Kingdoms. She thought about praying, but she knew it would be useless. Nothing, no one was gonna save her now.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello !_

 _I thought I should precise that I'm inspired by both books and show. For example, Loras here is more like in the books. Margaery and Stannis look like in the show but I try to stick to their books' character. Again, don't hesitate letting me know what you think about the story!_

 _"_ When our emotions are engaged, we often have trouble seeing things as they are"

Robert Greene

He was walking around the gardens, alone. He could hear Shireen laughing as she was playing with other children. A slight smile roved on his lips. Highgarden was truly beautiful. The road had been long and dangerous, but they finally made it. They rested for a day, and met their hosts. Margaery was crying when they got in the castle and her father threatened to slap her. Stannis had gritted his teeth and promised to cut his hand off if he laid a finger on Margaery. She had turned to him surprised, her eyes still tearful and he had walked away.

The wedding had to take place in a few days, but Stannis was impatient: first, because he had to meet his brother right after the wedding. Second, because this wedding was a chore, and he wanted to get rid of it. Just thinking about the wedding night gave him cold sweat. But today, he was more calm, more relaxed. He looked at the flowers, these beautiful and scented roses. He bent down to grab one when he heard a loud laugh: surprised, he moved swiftly and cut his finger on a thorn. He turned around to see his future wife walking to him with her brother Loras. They looked very close to each other. Stannis tried to smile but he knew it looked more like a grimace. The two young people bowed when they saw him. He nodded at them. Margaery's smile faded away when she saw the blood on his hand. She rushed on him:

"Are you hurt, your Grace?"

"I just…"

He stopped talking when she took his hand. Her long hair tickled his fingers and he couldn't take his eyes off her for a minute. She took in her pocket a tissue, with a rose embroidered on it, and carefully wrapped it around his bleeding finger. The delicate fabric immediately stained red. She held his hand and looked up at him:

"There, it will stop bleeding soon."

Loras was watching at them with an amused look and, as they both turned to him, he bowed again:

"I have to go training. I let you both…talk."

Stannis could swear he had chuckled when he turned away from them and walked. Margaery's hand was still holding his. He knew he had to say something but, he was awful at that. Robert was the seducer. Renly too, even though it was not the same kind of man. But Stannis, Stannis had never been interested in women, in courting. He had never courted Selyse, honestly. They got married and that was it. Margaery tilted her head, waiting for him to say something. Instead, he just walked, Margaery still holding his hand.

"Do you like Highgarden?" she asked after a few steps.

"I do indeed. I miss the sea, though", he replied, silently cursing himself for always ruining it.

"Oh…" she said, and he tried to redeem himself.

"Your gardens are wonderful. And your roses are beautiful. Especially one", he hastily added and closed his eyes. How stupid did that sound? Margaery laughed: not a mocking laugh, not a despising one, more of a pure flattered laugh. Her cheeks turned pink and she smiled at him.

"Thank you, my King."

She had never called him this way. They both realized it, and her cheeks turned from pink to red. He took her to a bench and sat beside her.

"I am sorry I am not the man you thought you would marry one day."

"Your Grace, I've never…" she started but, with a gesture of his hand, he stopped her.

"I am not Robert, I am not Renly. I have many faults, you will realize it soon enough. I chose to marry you, because Robert died, I confess it. But you are the daughter of a great Lord, you know how things work in this world."

She nodded, staring at him, and he said again:

"I don't have many friends, I don't trust people easily. But, when I commit myself, I do it fully. I am committed to you. You are my Queen, and I will do everything I can to make you happy."

She smiled, raised his hand she was still holding to her lips and laid a long kiss on it.

"I will give you sons, my King."

The look she gave to him made him swallow hard. How could a so young lady give that kind of looks? He tried to smile, but more like winced again. He gently stroked her hand and they kept talking.

Their relationship was slightly better, but he could still hear her cry when he walked by her room at night. He knew it was because of him: an older woman would have been more reasonable but she was a teenager, raised with fairytales since she was born. She probably thought she would get married to a handsome young prince, like Joffrey for example. But Joffrey was no good man. He never would be. Stannis sighed behind the door, as he could hear her sobbing loudly. He wanted to come in and then what? He didn't know how to solace her, he didn't even know how to love her. Robert has loved Lyanna Stark. Stannis had never dreamt of such a love. He gave a last look on the door and walked back to his chambers. There, Davos was waiting for him. They talked about the war to come: the young wolf, Robb Stark, had denied every message they sent them. Stannis had proposed him that his daughter Shireen would marry his youngest brother Rickon. He would have preferred Brandon, but the young boy was a cripple, and he would never gave his daughter to a cripple, even if the boy was a Stark. Shireen was 6 years older than him, but it was not very important. And anyway, Robb had refused. Stannis was not enthusiast at the idea of fighting him. Not that he was scared, but he would lose men who could have been useful for the real enemy: the Lannisters. Stark would fight both Stannis and the Lannisters. It would be hard for him to cope with that, but the young wolf was stubborn. The Northerners were different from the others. He knew it. He had always known. He stayed with Davos for a few hours, before telling him to get some rest. He didn't sleep much: he stayed for a while standing in front of his window, staring at what will soon belong to him.


	5. Chapter 5

"Love is a choice wedded to action, my husband, and I choose you, and I will choose you every day for the rest of my life"

Brent Weeks

Margaery couldn't stand up. The sun was shining bright, the scent of the roses was spreading everywhere in her room but she couldn't stand up. Her father had come and had yelled at her, her brothers have whispered encouragements in her ear, her grandmother had tried to make her laugh but nothing happened. She still felt paralyzed. By fear, by anguish, she didn't know exactly. She had never wanted this marriage, she could have yelled it, screamed it, and no one cared. A few days ago, she had to be examined by septas to check if she was still a virgin. It happened in a room, everybody was here. She had never felt more ashamed. Stannis was staring at her. She had cried when the septa's fingers got in her. She had hated it, she had hated her father for making her live that, she had hated Stannis. When she was done, after what seemed hours to her, the septa claimed out loud that she was intact. Her future husband had not moved, not smiled, not talked. Nothing. He had stared at her and then left without a word. And now, she was looking at herself, in this wonderful dress, white silk and decorated with embroidery, but couldn't stand on her legs. She sighed watching her in the mirror: the dressmakers were skilled, no doubt about that. The dress was white from top to bottom, a sparkling white, almost dazzling. The V-neck let her cleavage show just enough. Her arms were naked. On her belly, a rose and a stag were proudly standing side by side. She was lost in thoughts when a knock on the door made her startle violently.

"Come in", she nervously said.

The door opened and Shireen, Stannis's daughter, came in with shy steps. Margaery beamed at her:

"You are so pretty", she said.

The little girl blushed slightly and she shook her head:

"No, I'm not. Mother always said I was not pretty. But you, Majesty, are gorgeous", she said with a bow.

Margaery smiled and opened her arms to hug the girl. She has loved this child the second she had seen her. Oh, of course, she was not pretty. She had big ears, square jaw, and, of course, the sequel of greyscale on her cheek. But she was a truly good and honest child, and that worth everything in the world. Honestly, Margaery more felt like a big sister than a stepmother, as she was very young, but Shireen treated her like a mother. For her father's wedding, she was wearing a white dress too, embroidered with a stag which was covering her chest. She rushed in Margaery's arms and hugged her tight:

"I am so happy you're marrying Father", she said.

Margaery stayed silent, not willing to break the little girl's happiness. As if she had read in her thoughts, Shireen, still cuddling her, said:

"I know Father can be…uptight"

Margaery finally laughed at this word and Shireen chuckled in turn.

"But I know he loves you. It shows when he looks at you, it shows when he talks to you, or about you. Give him time, please. He deserves to be happy. He deserves to have another heir than…me."

Margaery closed her eyes and stroked the plaited dark hair of the child:

"You would be such a great Queen, Shireen. Really."

"You will be even better", she said back, smiling at her.

Another knock on the door, stronger this time. Margaery's stomach knotted.

"Time to go", Shireen whispered and took her hand. Margaery stood up, fearing her legs would shake too much to hold her but she was okay. She smiled at Shireen and held her hand. Outside, her father was waiting for her. She took his arm and he led her there. Shireen walked in front of them, holding the rings. She tried to focus on her but, as they entered the Sept, she saw Stannis, waiting for her. _The long walk_ , she thought as she walked to him. He was pretty handsome, today, lavishly dressed with red, black and yellow, the colours of his house. As Shireen, a stag was embroidered on his chest. She tried to smile, she tried to look happy but she couldn't, she couldn't. These days, her cousins told her about the wedding night, and how awful it was, how painful, how embarrassing, how long and unbearable. They had told her what she had to do and she hardly coped with the idea. But it was her duty, as the future queen. So she put on a fake smile and nodded at the guests. Her father laid a kiss on her cheek when he let her near Stannis. He gently took her hand and they listened to the septon. She had noticed the absence of Melisandre. The red woman was weird, and she didn't like her. She knew Davos felt the same about the witch. She tried to focus on the septon, but it was useless. Her mind was far from there. She just felt Stannis taking her roses's cloath off her shoulder to place a stag's one instead. She said the words, he said them and he placed a quick kiss on her lips. They were married.

They were sit side by side, watching the guests drinking and eating. Laughs were ringing out in the great room. Margaery and Stannis were not looking at each other, not talking, nothing. Stannis had denied for the umpteenth time a cup of wine and was drinking only water. He tried to talk as nicely as he could with Mace Tyrell, but he couldn't think of anything else but the night to come. He felt furious at himself; ridiculous of being so scared of…that. She was just a woman, he just had to take her and to do the deed. The feast was long; he just wanted to get over with it. Margaery was glancing at him from time to time: she wanted to cry her eyes out. Her "husband" was never touching her, never looking at her, never talking to her. What had she done to the Gods to deserve such a treatment? Suddenly, while everybody was drunk or not far from being so, they started yelling "the bedding!" A loud and sudden noise on the table made Margaery startle and the guests shut up. Stannis had stood up and punched the table. Then, with the coolest voice in the world, he just said: "No bedding". He turned to Margaery and simply nodded at her. She knew it was time for her to go to what will be their common room. She bowed slightly and left. Her servants immediately followed her but she stopped them once they had left the room. Alone, she walked to their bedroom, silently, slowly. She stopped for a second to look at an asleep Highgarden. She was sad to leave her country, but Stannis had promised her they will come back often. She sighed, turning to the door. She opened it and stared at the room: it was big, windows wide opened, roses everywhere, and a four poster bed. She swallowed hard and turned back to the door, waiting for Stannis.

He stayed with his father-in-law for a moment before leaving in turn. Davos bowed before him when he walked by him and he felt an urge to ask him how to do that. Davos and his wife looked truly in love with each other. He wished he could feel that one day too. He walked fast to their room, nodding at the men who bowed before him. He laid a hand on the handle and closed his eyes. He was so nervous. The first time with Selyse was awful. And the other ones were not better. Selyse was silent, he was quick and sex was soon a chore. Her many miscarriages had not helped. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

Margaery was standing and smiled at him when he came in. He smiled back and walked to her. He eyed the bed and she silently turned around, presenting her back and the laces of her dress. She grabbed her hair and moved it away from her scruff. Clumsily, Stannis undid the laces. Indeed, he thought she would keep her dress. That's what Selyse did. They had never been naked together. Margaery took her dress off and she was just wearing a silk tunic. She turned to Stannis and began to undo the laces of his shirt as well. He let her do, rather paralysed.

"Kiss me", she sighed.

"What for?" he winced.

"Because you're my husband now…" Margaery said. She couldn't believe it. He pecked her lips slightly and said:

"Here you are."

She didn't know how she didn't roll her eyes. Indeed, she cupped his face and kissed him deeply, forcing him to part his lips. He didn't stroke her, he didn't hold her. He kissed back, though. He didn't know how to do it. He had never kissed this way. She was already quite noisy and he didn't know if he was excited or exasperated by her noises. Her hands were undressing him quickly and he didn't dare stop her. Margaery broke the kiss and took a step backwards:

"You are a great kisser", she complimented him.

"Erm… Thanks.." he replied. "You too."

She smiled and slid the straps of her tunic off her shoulders. It fell on the floor. Stannis immediately looked away, reddening. He wished he could smash his head on a wall for being so stupid. Margaery got back to him. She took his hands and put them on her breasts, making them run to her belly.

"You have to give me a son, my King."

"I don't have to be naked for that. You neither", he retorted, not moving his hands away though.

Her skin was soft and flawless, warm. He wondered if it tasted as good as it smelled.

"Don't you like me?" she asked, staring at his eyes.

He dared looking at her, his eyes scrutinizing her. He nodded slightly:

"You are very pretty"

She raised an eyebrow and sticked to him. Before he could react, she had taken most of his clothes off. They have never been that close and she kisses his neck. He smelled good, really good. She looked at his body: he was quite good-looking, hairy but not too much. Stannis closed his eyes, starting to enjoy these cuddles. He could feel her hard nipples against his chest and he started to have a hard-on. He gasped and recoiled when she slept her hand in his underwear and started to rub his sex.

"Where have you learnt that?" he asked. Of course, Selyse never did that.

"You are my king. I want to please you."

She was excited too. She never thought she would be that quickly but she thought it would be better to feel excited rather than disgusted. Suddenly, Stannis's arms embrace her at least. His hands stroke her, hands way softer than what she thought at first. They laid on the bed, naked, Stannis swallowed hard. Margaery tried to smile but she was indeed terrified. He didn't know what to do; he just felt he had to wait a bit. He kissed her lips, her neck, stroking her breasts. She arched her back and moaned slightly. He kept doing that, until he felt she was ready. Her hands on his back were more pressing, her kisses more insistent, and her lips warmer. He guided his sex to her entrance and he watched her as he got in. He had not even cared about Selyse, if she ached or not, the first time. But, with Margaery, it was different. He gasped when her nails digged in his back. She stammered "Oh gods, oh gods…", breathing hard and fast. He stopped moving, he felt how her body was resisting his. How could he feel so different when it was her first time and not his? He didn't understand. He tried to focus on the sensations, how tight she was. Her sex was pulsing against his and he thought he was very exciting. She moved her hips slightly and nodded when he looked at her. He pushed a little more and felt her hymen distending. Margaery moaned and he couldn't stay if it was with pleasure or with pain.

Margaery wanted to cry: she bit Stannis's shoulder to not yell with pain. He stopped again and a tear rolled on her cheek. She started to smother his neck with kisses, not really knowing why, and he kissed her back. Again, he stopped, giving her time to adjust to him, and they went on doing this, until pain completely disappeared. By then, they were both in a sweat, and Margaery wrapped her legs around his waist, gently scratched his back. He moaned loudly when he felt he was so deep and he started thrusting, maybe faster than what he wanted, but he couldn't slow down. He had never felt that. He started groaning, feeling he was gonna come soon, and she just started to moan when he released his semen deep inside her. She let out a frustrated sigh but he pecked her lips before pulling out. He collapsed next to her and she curled up against him. He immediately wrapped an arm around her and stroked her hair. He remained silent, a bit dizzy with all this pleasure. It was so different than with Selyse… So much better. He chuckled slightly, amazed by the experience and turned to Margaery but she had already fallen asleep, locks of her hair sticking with her sweaty brow. He kissed her gently and closed his eyes in turn.


	6. Chapter 6

"The story is about to begin, and every day will be a new piece of the plot."

Mary Ann Schaffer

The following morning, Margaery Tyrell left Highgarden, followed by an army of thousands of men. She watched her city, her land disappearing slowly as they walked to Storm's end. They had to meet Renly Baratheon here. Stannis had no hope he could convince him to surrender but maybe the forces of the Tyrell would help. He was at the head of his men, Margaery slightly behind him, side by side with Davos. She was tired, and sad to leave her family. A hand stroked her cheek: she looked up and smiled at Loras, magnificent in his armor. At least her brother was with her. Then she looked back at her husband, even though she only saw his scruff and back. She held back a smile: she loved how different he could be in public and in private. She sometimes wondered who the true Stannis was: the one smiling and sweet with her and Shireen, or the one gruff and dark with Davos and the others. Margaery felt an insistent look on her and turned around on her mare to look at Melisandre. She fakely smiled and nodded at her. She hated her, and Melisandre hated her back the same way. Margaery knew she was jealous of her. She thought she had a greater influence on Stannis than her now. Though, when they were alone, her husband and she never talked about politics. She liked to think she was his shelter, the person he came to when he was looking for comfort and love. Did she love him? She didn't know. She wasn't sure. The only thing she knew was that she had never felt that for anyone. Maybe she could talk about it with Loras, even though he knew as little about love as her.

"Do you feel alright, your Grace?"

Margaery turned to Davos, who was looking at her with concern:

"I am, Ser Davos."

She frowned slightly though, wondering why he looked so worried.

"You look really tired", he insisted.

She felt herself blushing and replied:

"I am alright, don't worry. Just sad I leave Highgarden", she smiled.

He nodded and remained silent. Margaery thought about the night before: she had woken up in the middle of the night and simple strokes on Stannis's chest had made him opened his eyes again. _He has beautiful eyes_ ; she had thought when he was making love to her again. After this time, they talked and she leaned on him. He had given her inquiring looks and she explained she had older cousins, before taking him as he had taken her. He looked offended first, but then he enjoyed it. They had done it several times and had fallen asleep soon before dawn, when they had to get up early to leave. When the servants had come in, after Stannis left, their looks and their chuckles let her know the whole castle was aware of how good her night had been. She chuckled with them: she had a good relationship with her servants. They were coming with her to Dragonstone. She had known them since she was a child; she had grown up with them. She would not call them sisters, but she was closer from them than from some of her cousins… The ride was going on, and Melisandre joined Stannis. They talked for a few minutes but he looked angry at her, Margaery didn't know why. Melisandre slowed down to get by Davos again and Stannis turned to call at Margaery. She spurred her horse so it joined Stannis's one.

"Your Grace?" she asked.

"Stannis", he smiled slightly.

She smiled back:

"Stannis?"

He stared at her:

"How are you? How do you feel after…?" he hesitantly asked.

She frowned slightly, unsure of what he was talking about. His eyes looked down on her saddle, insistently. She understood:

"Oh… I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm slightly sore, but nothing to worry about."

Stannis though looked worried:

"Horse riding is not going to help you, my Lady"

Margaery put on a kinky smile and whispered:

"It worthed it."

Stannis smiled and they kept talking.

When they reached Storm's End, Stannis became darker suddenly. Margaery went to rest as he sent two messengers to organize a meeting with Renly. They soon came back: Stannis had to meet his brother the following day. He did not eat that night. He did not share Margaery's bed either. He did not even sleep. He stared at Storm's end castle, at what should be his, instead of Dragonstone. His jaw clenched and he gritted his teeth.

In the warmth of his castle, Renly Baratheon was staring at his brother's camp. He shook his head slightly and turned to the tall blonde woman, wearing armor, who was looking at him.

"Do you have siblings, Brienne?" he asked softly.

"No, your Grace", she replied.

"They're both a blessing and a curse. My brothers have always pretended they've never loved me. Such lies… I have loved my brothers. Both of them. I admired Robert's skills in fights. I admired Stannis, too, in a way. And they loved me, back then. I know they did. Honestly, no child hates his siblings. It's not true. But it's more convenient to believe when you fight for a kingdom", he laughed slightly.

Brienne was looking at him, not knowing if he expected an answer. The war of the five kings. The Baratheon brothers, the young wolf, the Lannisters, the Greyjoys. How many of them will survive this war? Rumors were spreading like mushrooms after a fall's rain. Some said the king was dead, some said Sansa Stark was dead, some said Jaime Lannister was dead. Who could be trusted in this world? But she knew that she, Brienne of Tarth, could be trusted. She knew that if Renly asked her, she would plunge her sword into Stannis's stomach in front of his new wife. She lived to serve Renly, and she wanted to die doing so.

"Go get some rest Brienne", Renly broke the silence. He looked weary and suddenly both older and younger than he ever was. He turned his dark haired face to her and smiled:

"Tomorrow is going to be a very long day."

 _A/N: Now, I am kinda stuck. I don't know what to do with Renly. Shall he bend the knee or shall he be destroyed?_


	7. Chapter 7

The sun had not risen yet, but Stannis Baratheon was already up, fully dressed, and ready to go meet his younger brother. He walked out of his tent, greeted soldiers and walked to his wife's one. He nodded at the servants and moved the flaps away to get in. He stopped right in his tracks when he discovered Shireen asleep in Margaery's arms. The future queen was looking at her daughter-in-law, a smile roving on her lips, her hand stroking her hair gently. Stannis walked to her bed: she turned to him with a surprised look and smiled when she saw him.

"Hello", she said.

He sat by her side and pecked her lips quickly:

"I need your advice."

She raised an eyebrow and whispered:

"Mine?"

She didn't want to wake Shireen up. Stannis glanced at her daughter peacefully asleep and nodded. Margaery was quite surprised: she thought he would ask Davos, or the Red Woman. She was just a teenager, not a grown woman. What advice could she give to a future king?

"You are my wife", Stannis whispered in turn. "I trust you. What shall I do with Renly?"

"Renly?"

She was more and more confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked again.

His eyes locked hers and he simply said:

"Shall I kill him, if I must?"

"Kill your brother?" she gasped slightly.

"What if he doesn't want to surrender? I don't want a battle. I need my men for a greater enemy than my own brother. The Red Woman said…"

"You shouldn't trust her", she interrupted him. She bit her lip and looked down: "Sorry."

"Go ahead", he encouraged her.

"I don't trust her. She scares me. Please, your Grace, don't go that far. If you have to fight, fight him. With your army. But, murdering him would be… unforgivable. By you, and by the Gods."

For a moment, he just stared at her and she stared back, not smiling. She was serious. She didn't mention herself among the ones who would not forgive him that, but she thought so. Stannis despised Jaime Lannister for killing his king and he wouldn't mind killing his brother? That didn't make any sense. After a long moment, he nodded and kissed her again:

"Get some rest"

He stood up but she grabbed his hand:

"I want to be there"

"No. It's not your place", Stannis firmly said.

"But it's Melisandre's?" Margaery bitterly pointed out.

He looked down at her and nodded:

"Yes. It is."

He quite brutally freed himself from her grip and left without a word. Margaery felt tears filling her eyes; she huddled up against Shireen and stared at the white fabric of her tent, moving with the wind.

Stannis left back to his tent, where Davos was waiting for him, examining the map of Westeros.

"Ser Davos", Stannis greeted.

"Your Grace", Davos bowed.

He stood by his side, watching at the map too, at the different military forces in Westeros.

"Robb Stark has defeated the Lannisters and has captured the Kingslayer", Davos said, showing the wooden wolves standing on the map.

Stannis held back an admiring whistle.

"Your Grace, there is something else", Davos said again. Stannis gave him an inquiring look. "Catelyn Stark is seeking alliances. She is with Renly right now. If you defeat him, you'll have Robb Stark."

His eyes were sparkling with excitation. Stannis didn't react but he knew that, with Robb Stark by his side, he would have great chances to win. But the Young Wolf wanted to be king in the North and Stannis didn't want to divide his realm. He simply nodded and said:

"Get ready, Ser Davos."

Davos bowed again and walked out of his tent, leaving alone a thoughtful king.

Renly Baratheon was in his tent, dressing up with Brienne's help. He was grave and pale. He joined his escort and Catelyn Stark, got on his horse and rode to his brother's camp. They had to meet by the sea. Renly was confident, almost smiling as he rode there. But his smile faded away when he saw Stannis's army. There were much more men than what his scouts had told him. _Idiots_ , he thought. But it was too late now. He could see Stannis riding to the meeting's place, with this Red woman and his Onion knight. They stopped close to each other and glared for a moment.

"So. I heard you besieged my castle", Renly told Stannis.

He clenched his jaw: typical Renly.

"Storm's End should have been mine. As the Iron Throne is. You cannot deny that, brother."

Renly smiled:

"No one wants you as a King, Stannis. You have no friends, you inspire no loyalty, no love. How can you hope winning a war without allies?"

"I have the Tyrells", Stannis retorted, his fingers clenching on his horse's rein.

"I saw that", Renly said again, keeping his stupid smile.

"You are outnumbered, and I do not want to see a massacre", Stannis calmly replied.

Renly laughed:

"But my soldiers are way more loyal to me than yours are to you, brother."

Davos suddenly turned to Stannis's camp and shouted:

"Soldiers, who is your king?"

From the camp, Renly saw thousands of men rising and, with a same voice, they shout back:

"Stannis! Stannis! Stannis!"

The noise was deafening, the horses startled. Renly lost his smile, Stannis smirked.

"No loyalty? No love?", Davos groaned.

Stannis glanced at him and he stayed silent.

"What's that banner?" Renly asked suddenly.

"I got my own. A stag on fire, in a red heart", Stannis stated.

"The heart of the Lord of Light", Melisandre precised.

Renly glared at her and Stannis said again, looking at Catelyn:

"I am the rightful king. Your husband knew it, Lady Stark. He supported me. Now, Renly, I give you this night. Tomorrow, come to me, bend the knee and I will give you your siege back at the Council. Or I'll fight you and I'll destroy you. Your choice."

Stannis slightly nodded at Catelyn and rode back to his camp, followed by Melisandre and Davos. When he came back, his soldiers acclaimed him. Margaery was standing in front of his tent, waiting. How he wished Renly heard them.

He did hear. He closed his eyes hearing their shouts as he rode back to his castle. Brienne was following him everywhere, and he would have liked to be alone, to think about what he was going to do. He thought about surrendering: Stannis had more men, and was a better commander. He had to admit it. The youngest of the Baratheons had never won a war, never won a battle. He sighed and kept thinking about the different solutions he had. His men believed in him, he could not disappoint them. When dawn came, he did not leave to Stannis's camp.

Stannis had to come to him, and fight.


	8. Chapter 8

Margaery wrapped her arms around herself as she watched Stannis getting ready for the battle. He checked on his horse and turned to her. Shireen was standing in front of Margaery, staring at her father. He walked to them and clumsily stroked Shireen's hair. His lips quavered in a slight smile and his eyes then met Margaery's. She hugged him tight, not knowing if he would spurn him or not, but she did not care. His arms, after a second, embraced her and she whispered in his ear:

"Come back to me"

"I will", he whispered back, enjoying the delicate scent from her hair. How he would miss her if he died… He did not kiss her when he moved away. He smiled, nodded at Melisandre and got on his horse. Margaery watched him leaving to the battlefield, her hands resting on Shireen's shoulders. When he had disappeared, she took the little girl's hand and led her in her tent. The child took a book and started to read. Margaery was looking at her, sewing. She needed to focus on something else than her husband fighting his brother. Stannis had joined her the night before, and she was surprised. She hoped he had given her a son. She smiled slightly, thinking about him, and Shireen's voice brought her back to reality.

"Are you afraid, mother?" she asked.

Margaery looked up, surprised: she had never called her that before. But she didn't point it out. The girl's eyes were tearful and the Queen stood up to join her:

"I am, sweetheart."

"Because you love father?" she asked again, turning her big dark blue eyes to her.

Margaery nodded with a slight smile. She suddenly realized she may lose Stannis in a few minutes, in a few hours. Yet, was it love between them? She thought she needed more time. Though, she did not want to ruin Shireen's hopes. She had a right to dream about romantic love even though, in their world, it was pretty uncommon.

"Your father is a great man", she honestly said. "And I am very proud to be his wife."

The dark blue eyes met hers and a smile enlightened them. Suddenly, they heard the first noises of the battles: the trumpets, the horses neighing and the crash of the swords. Margaery closed her eyes and pulled Shireen closer.

Davos was fighting the best he could. Stannis had not put him on the frontlines: he knew he was not the greatest warrior alive. When he was having a moment, Davos watched admiringly his King and his brother-in-law fighting side by side. They were excellent soldiers and they fought as if they had learnt together. A man attacked Davos suddenly and, trying to escape his sword, he stumbled on a body and fell down. His head hurt armor and, for a moment, he stared around him, dizzy. He saw dead bodies, young men crying and calling for their mothers, pieces of arms, legs, heads. He tried to stand up but someone yelled his name. He did not know who, he just saw Loras running to him. He turned around, close to pass out and faced a boy, about the age of his son, who tried to run through his chest with his sword. The knight did not know how he blocked the move. He just knew that the young lad stared at him while his own sword ran through him. Blood rushed by his mouth and he fell down, his eyes wide open. Davos would never forget this face. The battle was confusing, the yells frightening. He looked for his sons, but did not find them. As he was fighting for his life and for his King, he could not stop praying. Praying for him, for his children. Glancing at Stannis from time to time, he made sure he was fine, and not injured. His arm was aching, his legs felt like they weight a hundred kilos. Blood was covering his face, not his blood, though. And the smell… the smell was awful. Blood, excrement – some men had accidents, because of fear or pain - , horse's guts, puke. Slowly, the noises lowered. They became scarce and the sounds of trumpets, for a moment, drowned the men's yells out. Loras raised his arms and yelled. Davos saw Renly's men running away. Some of Stannis's ran after them and killed some but Stannis ordered them to stop. The old knight looked for his sons, straightaway. He found them, one by one. They were injured, but not deadly and he thanked Stannis silently.

The King was standing, leaning on his sword, breathing hard and fast. His hands, his face were covered with mud and blood. He heard someone calling at him and turned around to face Loras:

"Your Grace, what a great victory!" he enthusiastically said.

Stannis looked all around him: which victory? Thousands of young men dead, thousands injured, thousands lost lives, because his brother had been too stubborn to recognize him as the King. And now, if he was not dead, he will, eventually. So what was the point? He stared at Loras quite despising.

"The only victory I am seeking is against the Lannisters", he groaned. He tried to walk away but he almost fell and Loras held him back.

"Are you injured, your Grace?" he asked, worried.

"My leg…" Stannis said.

Loras helped him sit down and called out for water.

"Where is Renly?" Stannis asked.

"We are looking for him, Your Grace."

Loras called at the maester Cressen but Stannis grabbed his shoulder:

"No… I can wait. Some are more severely injured."

"Your Grace", Loras said again.

"I said no", the King shouted.

Pain and tiredness were two things he hardly handled. He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists and looked at the knight:

"Find Renly. Do not harm him, or any of his men."

Loras nodded and left only once Davos had joined Stannis, surrounded by his sons.

The news of Stannis's victory soon spread through the whole camp. The first injured men arrived, and Margaery hid Shireen's eyes. To her, the battles had always meant brave men fighting bad men, yells of victory and so on. But here, all she could hear were the whimpers of the men who were dying. She waited, impatient, for Stannis to come back.

When he felt able to walk, after Cressen had bandaged his thigh, Stannis joined Davos and Loras : they had found Renly, who had surrendered without a word. The tall woman who fought with him had followed him. Stannis stood in front of them. Renly was looking down.

"You are my brother", Stannis said with a tired voice. "I will not kill you for treason. But, from now on, I assure you that if you fail me again, whether it is on the battlefield or in advices, you shall be hanged."

Renly simply nodded: he was shaking like a leaf, probably traumatized by this first battle. At his side, the tall woman had remained strong. Stannis stopped in front of her:

"Loras told me you are an impressive soldier, Lady Brienne."

"I am no soldier, nor Lady… Your Grace".

She had hesitated, as if calling him this would definitely mean their surrender. Renly didn't react.

"Then what are you?" Stannis asked.

"A humble servant of your brother", she replied.

"I want you to keep serving him…by serving me", Stannis smiled. "My Kingsguard is not complete yet. You can be one of the Seven? It's up to you."

Brienne looked surprised and Loras interrupted Stannis but he raised his hand and the young knight shut it. The woman glanced at Renly, but he didn't look back.

"It would be a great honor, Your Grace. Thank you."

"I reward loyalty and bravery", Stannis said before limping away.

When he came back to the camp, he was laid on a stretcher. Margaery ran to him, terrified, followed by Shireen. The soldiers laid him on his bed, in his tent, and Crassen reassured the two females.

"Thank you… Thank you so much", Margaery said, while Shireen was crying with relief.

"The King is strong, my Ladies", the old maester had replied.

He was the one who had known Stannis the longest. Margaery loved to hear about him as a child, but he was pretty sad, even back then. The death of his parents in front of him had not helped him getting more cheerful. She then joined Stannis, who had refused milk poppy, and stayed by his side until he felt better. She slept in his bed, and, a few days later, they were coming in Storm's end's castle, triumphantly.

Every Stannis's thoughts were now focused on a young black haired boy, fighting the Lannisters alone up in the North.


	9. Chapter 9

« You shall transmit my terms to your son, Lady Stark. »

Stannis was sitting in the great hall of Storm's End, facing Catelyn, his jaw clenched. He did not forgive her for taking Renly's side when it was her husband, Eddard, who warned him about his "nephews and niece" being bastards. Catelyn, down the few steps that led to him, tried to plead her cause:

"Lord Stannis, I don't think…"

"I am no Lord, I am your king, Lady Stark. You should not forget your place", he gritted his teeth.

She stared at him and slightly nodded, her pale blue eyes locking his. Stannis said again:

"Your son will be Governor of the North, as his father was before him. But he will abandon this title of "King in the North". The Seven Kingdoms have only one king. Me. The North has a special place in the realm, I know it very well. But I will not give him more than that. I propose him that Shireen would marry Rickon, when the two of them will be old enough. When I'll take the Iron Throne, that your daughters will be safe, Renly shall marry Sansa."

Catelyn startled slightly:

"They're almost ten years apart", she protested.

Stannis glared at her and she remained silent, though furious. As if nothing happened, Stannis said again:

"If we manage to ally Dorne, Arya could marry prince Trystane. Robb shall swear me allegiance and will fight the Lannisters by my side. Those are my terms. He is free to accept them or not. You are a clever woman, Lady Stark. You do know your son needs allies in this war. He has sent Theon Greyjoy to Pikes. Very well. But you know it has been a long time since Theon is not considered a Greyjoy anymore. And you do know the Greyjoys are too stubborn, or too stupid, as you wish, to ally with anyone. Balon Greyjoy thinks he can win this war by himself. I don't. Now, I'm gonna give you a small escort to join your son."

Catelyn had not looked down the whole time he was speaking. She remembered how Ned talked about Stannis: he praised his military talent, his honesty and honor. Ned was also talking about how stubborn he was, how hard he could be with the others, especially the closest people from him. She slightly shakes her head:

"Thank you, your Grace, but my own escort is enough for me"

"That was not a question", he retorted.

Catelyn stood speechless and bowed slightly. Stannis told her she could leave and so she did. She prepared to get back to Robb, and Brienne, Renly's kingsguard, was supposed to go with her. Lady Stark was allowed a beautiful room in the castle, and Shireen had immediately been really nice to her. She was more defiant of Margaery: the young girl was beautiful, and she knew it. Her ambition seemed limitless and Catelyn thought she could grow to be a very dangerous woman. On many points, she made her think of Cersei Lannister. Except she looked truly fond of Stannis, unlike Cersei with Robert. She sat by the window and sighed softly: she missed her son. She missed her daughters, back there in King's Landing. Sansa, Arya… Only Stannis could free them now. She thought about Rickon and Bran, alone in Winterfell. Her boys were so little… They probably hated her now for abandoning them. And Ned… How she missed Ned. How she wished none of that happened. She closed her eyes and pressed her brow against the cold glass of the window. She was close to drift off to sleep when she heard a knock on her door. For a second, she was tempted to pretend she was really asleep but it could be important.

"Come in", she wearily said.

Margaery opened the door and stepped in with a smile. Catelyn stood up and bowed:

"Your Grace"

"Please, sit down."

She had brought a pitcher:

"Would you like some wine, Lady Stark?" she asked.

"No, thank you."

Margaery put the pitcher on the table and walked closer to Catelyn. She sat by her side and just stared at her for a minute. Catelyn was ill at ease: she would have wanted to know why she was here.

"How were the first times of your marriage?" she suddenly asked, before blushing intently. "Pardon me if I sound indiscreet."

Catelyn couldn't help but smiling: Margaery reminded her of Sansa, somehow. Pale and delicate like a rose, but someone wise would be careful. Roses had thorns. She tilted her head:

"Is everything alright between you and your husband?"

Margaery nodded slowly:

"It's just… I am not sure of loving him. And I am not sure he does either."

"Oh, sweet girl… Love can come in very different forms. I barely knew Eddard when I married him. I was promised to his brother Brandon. I have fallen in love with him, with time. It was not on the spot."

Margaery looked reassured by Catelyn's answer. It showed on her flawless face.

"I heard that Cersei Lannister was very unhappy with Robert", she whispered, bending on her.

Catelyn half smiled:

"Robert was promised to Ned's sister. But Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped her and she died."

"Hence King Robert's hatred for the Targaryens?" the young girl asked.

Catelyn approved and smiled at her. She was really beautiful, a sweeter beauty than Cersei Lannister, and almost as striking. Lady Stark had observed the young queen : her gentleness with Shireen, with Stannis, with everyone around her, even the servants, had made her appreciate her. She hoped for her that Stannis was different in private than in public. He was so cold; he looked like he did not even know the word "feelings". Though, he had spared Renly. Catelyn had been surprised, but she knew his words were sincere: Renly better be a loyal man. Otherwise, Stannis would not hesitate mounting his head on a pike, brother or not.

"Have you heard about Daenerys?" Margaery asked again, her eyes sparkling this time.

"Not really. I heard she was very beautiful. Robert wanted to assassinate her. This Targaryen's hatred", Catelyn almost excused him.

"She is just a child", Margaery gaped with a horrified look.

"I know. Eddard thought the same. When the Kingslayer injured him, Robert changed his mind. But I heard the orders had already been given. Daenerys might be dead now. We cannot know."

Margaery listened, nodding slowly.

"If she lives, she will want the throne, will she?"

"Yes. Robert was a usurper in her mind, and so is your husband", Catelyn said.

Margaery sighed:

"It sounds like this war is far from ending"

"Indeed", Catelyn nodded in approval.

Days and weeks passed: Catelyn had left to find Robb, Davos was still seeking for alliances. He sent messages to Dorne, but an agreement with them was highly unsure. Stannis counted more on their hate for the Lannisters than on their love for the Targaryens. After several messages, he decided to send Davos there, to negotiate face to face with their Lord. The King was awake since a few minutes but he did not want to leave his bed. His wife was asleep, huddled up against him. The rays of sunshine were giving her hair luminous shine. She looked peaceful and contented, her small hand on his chest. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He laid a gentle kiss on the scented skin, and moved slowly the sheets to observe her naked body. His eyes wandered on her shoulders, the hollow between her ribs and her hips, her breasts resting against his side, her hair half covering them. He softly moved her hair away to watch his heart's content. She moved slightly and her leg came on his crotch.

"Do you like what you see?"

He turned to her with a smile. She was smirking, her eyes half opened, looking still in a sleepy mood.

"Go back to sleep", Stannis ordered. "It's early."

She nodded but didn't close her eyes.

"Today, it has been a month…"

"I know", he softly said.

A month ago, they made the vow to stay together until they died. Margaery grinned:

"I thought I could celebrate today with something special for you"

Stannis frowned:

"Like… a gift."

She nodded:

"A gift you'll love."

"What is it?" he asked, half smiling.

She raised a knowing eyebrow and started kissing his neck. He closed his eyes and stroked her back. Her lips were running on his neck, the tip of her tongue stroked his Adam's apple. Soon, she kissed her way down his body, laying kisses, there gentle, there more passionate, on his chest, his belly. When she reached his navel, he whispered her name. Taking that as an encouragement, she kept going down. "No", she heard. She looked up and Stannis sat up to move away from her. He hid his crotch under the sheets. She joined him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek.

"I want to please you, my King."

"I am not Robert, and you are not a whore", he groaned, pushing her away.

She gasped slightly, scared. She wrapped the sheets around her and curled up. He scowled at her, but he saw she was on the verge of tears, and he felt guilty. He was too brusque with her, he knew it but he could not help it. She was too young, too fragile. Her youth stroke him, as he was looking at her, naked, curled up, swinging softly, as a terrified child. That's what she was: a child. He was sleeping with a child. Trying to get a grip on himself, he raised a hand to stroke her hair, but she recoiled violently.

"Leave me alone", she spat.

His eyes turned dark suddenly: leave me alone? How dare she talk like that to her King? She stood up and looked for her clothes on the floor. Stannis could not believe it:

"Where are you going?"

"Outside", she spat again.

He closed his eyes, trying to calm down when he already felt furious.

"Come back here", he groaned. "I did not allow you to leave."

She snorted. _She snorted_.

"I am not your slave. I am the Queen. I do what I want."

She put on her dress again and walked to the door. In an instant, Stannis had joined her, completely naked. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her against the door.

"You are my wife, and you will obey me."

She stared at him and suddenly kissed him. He kissed back gently, but she was not in the mood for softness. She bit his lip hard enough to draw blood and he stifled a yell. He stepped back, stared at her speechless. She grinned, joined him and licked the blood off his lips. Excited, he pinned her against the door again and ripped her dress apart. Before she could do anything, he left her legs and she wrapped them around his waist. She internally hoped he would be less fast than the other times. She knew he could be great, but he looked like he did not care about her pleasure, and just about the fact that they needed to do that to have heirs. She sighed his name, and cried out when he got in her, because he was brutal, thrusting hard and fast in her. She begged him to go easy but he did not listen and soon, it was over. She moaned with disappointment as he was groaning with ecstasy. Margaery remembered what he said earlier and wanted to show him she was not a child, not anymore. Maybe if she was making love to him, and not the contrary, it would be better. Stannis pulled away and turned to go but she grabbed his wrist. He gave her an inquiring look and she kissed him again, passionately. He was such a good kisser. He followed her rhythm: obey him? What a joke… She bossed him around in bed. Bed was the most important place between a wife and a husband. She grabbed his hips, dug her nails in his skin and pushed him on the bed. Before he could say anything, she sat astride him, guided his sex in her, and started wriggling violently. Stannis stifled a moan and stared at her: no, she did not look like a child now. Her breasts were bouncing violently with her rhythm, and he raised his arms to stroke them but she pinned him against the mattress. She was noisy, it turned him on. He loved how she could control her inner body. She was contracting around him, more or less hard, making him blow his mind. He did not have to help her or anything: he could be totally passive, she was wonderful. Her moans were so exciting he was soon close to come. He gritted his teeth and held it back but Margaery threw her head back, her moans turned into shouts and she suddenly stared at him, entangled her fingers with his and moved harder than ever. "Give me a son", she shouted. "Give me a son!" And then Stannis Baratheon, the less pious man in the Seven Kingdoms, prayed. He prayed, indeed, and he did not pray R'Hllor. He prayed the Seven. He prayed as hard as he could, he begged them to give them a son. Margaery felt how close she was and beamed. She kept moving, and he let the climax he was holding back for so long overwhelming him. He sat up, wrapped his arms around Margaery and held her tight, his face on her breasts. Margaery didn't say anything, but hardly held back her tears, and Stannis's body was jolting with the violence of pleasure he was feeling. They did not speak: they were panting, breathing heavily, in a sweat. Margaery was the first to move: her hands gently stroked his short hair, ran to his cheeks and she made him looking at her. "I love you", she whispered. Even though their experiences in bed were awful, yes, she loved him.


	10. Chapter 10

He had not answered. She had told him she loved him and he had remained speechless. She felt humiliated. Margaery had got off him suddenly, had grabbed the shred of her dress and had left. Since then, she had been cold as ice with him. Of course, she had kept sleeping with him because she knew how much an heir was important for them, but she kept glaring at him the whole time. After a while, he looked away, or closed his eyes. He never apologized, and of course he never told him he loved her too. She had stopped saying it. When they were done, they turned on a side and fell asleep. Stannis was not sleeping a lot lately: he was worried about the war. He had a few messages from Catelyn, but none from Davos. Robb had agreed with Stannis's terms and he had to admit he was relieved. But things never went as he planned: Lord Tully, Catelyn's father, was dead, and Robb and she had to go to the funerals. The war would be delayed. All those worries kept him awake at nights. That night was not different from the others: he turned to Margaery, asleep by his side. She was shivering: the nights grew colder. Winter was coming… Stannis wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. She moaned slightly, almost protesting but he stroked her hair and she soon curled up against him. He closed his eyes smiling.

Davos was sitting with the Prince Doran and his younger brother Oberyn. He felt ill at ease, as always when he was with royals. Except with Stannis. He had never been ill at ease with Stannis. Oberyn was staring at him with a smirk, and he did not really know if it was good or bad.

"Ser Davos, you came to see us. I am very conscious you must be exhausted. Maybe you wish to rest", Doran said gently.

Davos smiled at him:

"Thank you but I am fine. I think we could start talking about King Stannis's terms, if you agree."

Doran nodded but Oberyn said:

"Lord."

"Excuse me?" Davos frowned.

"Lord Stannis. As far as I know, it's King Joffrey."

Oberyn smiled watching for Davos's reaction. He looked at him straight in the eyes:

"Joffrey is not a Baratheon."

"Yes. We heard about this. Do you have any proofs of what you say?" Oberyn asked again.

"Look at the boy, and you'll know. Ned Stark is dead because he told Stannis about that monstrosity. It is true. Believe me."

Oberyn made a face and Doran said:

"We had news from Essos. Daenerys Targaryen is alive. And she intends to take that throne. So, tell me, why would we support a Baratheon when we could support a Targaryen?"

"Prince Doran, if I remember well, the Targaryen your sister married left her for a Stark, right?"

Suddenly, they did not smile anymore. Their eyes reflected shock and sadness. Davos felt bad for talking about their sister. But he had to use all the ways he could to have them on their side. He needed them. Stannis needed them.

"Yes, it's true", Doran said after a long embarrassing moment. "And the Starks fight at Stannis's side, right?"

"Eddard did not kill your sister. Eddard lost his sister in this war, as you lost yours. Who killed your sister, Prince Doran? You know who did it, right? It was not Gregor Clegane. Oh, of course, he did it physically, but someone gave him the order."

"Tywin Lannister", Oberyn groaned slowly.

Davos turned to him and nodded:

"We have a common enemy: the Lannisters. You want revenge, we want the Throne. We can help each other getting what we want."

Oberyn turned to his brother. Doran seemed lost in thought; memories of his childhood came back to his mind. He remembered when Elia was born. How fragile she was, how sure he was that she would not survive. She did, though, and became a nice and beautiful lady. She was so in love with Rhaegar. And he betrayed her. He could not send men to fight for his brother-in-law when the war started. He finally did it because he knew Elia would be queen, and her son Aegon King after her. But then Tywin Lannister ordered Clegane to slaughter them. Her, her children, Aegon who was only a few months old. What kind of man would give that order? But Robert Baratheon had not said a thing against that murder. None of the Baratheons ever had. And now, another Baratheon was asking for his help. He did not know what to do. He needed to think about it. If he could, he would kill them all, Lannisters, Baratheons, even Targaryens. He let out a sigh and realized the two men were staring at him, waiting for his decision.

"Have some rest, Ser Davos. I need to think about your proposal."

Davos needed and Doran called at a servant to lead Davos to his room. He was alone with Oberyn: his young brother was not the wisest of men. But he was his brother and he wanted revenge for Elia as much as Doran did. Doran didn't particularly like Stannis, not that he knew him, but people talked, even in Dorne. He was seen as a just but cold man, hard and ruthless.

"What do you think?" Doran asked.

"Would you marry Trystane to this Stark girl?" Oberyn asked in turn.

"As much as it hurts me to say it, Davos is right: the Starks did not kill Elia."

"But they supported Robert! Robert who made Clegane a knight for what he did! Robert who married that Lannister!" Oberyn shouted.

"Ned Stark always spoke frankly to Robert. I know he did not approve. The Lannisters are our enemies. The Lannister have to die. All of them."

"Do you want my advice, brother?" Oberyn asked.

Doran nodded.

"Send a message to this "Young Wolf". Tell him I want to kill Gregor Clegane myself. Tell him I want to kill Tywin Lannister myself. Then, maybe we can start talks."

Doran stared at his brother, and nodded approving.


	11. Chapter 11

_Before I start a new chapter, I wanted to thank you a lot for following/favoriting this story. It means a lot to me! Again, don't hesitate giving me your opinions through reviews/MP!_

Davos had finally almost come to an agreement with Prince Doran and he was sailing back to Storm's end. The Royal family had gone with him to the harbor and had wished him a good journey but he was filled with mixed emotions. He did not know if Stannis would agree with the slight change they had asked. But, he could not stay any longer in Dorne. He had been there for several weeks already and he missed his family, and his King. Being again with the Red Witch did not please him but it was the cost to pay to stay by Stannis's side. He still hoped his King would open his eyes and see her as who she was: someone he could not trust, someone who lied to him. Davos sighed and walked to his cabin. The journey was going to be exhausting.

It was night in Storm's End. Stannis was reading messages he had received from different Lords: they were joining him, one by one and he mentally counted how many men each Lord would bring. He was close, so close from his goal. When he was done, he poured lemony water in a glass and drank slowly, facing the sea. He felt a hand on his shoulder and internally smiled: Margaery was missing him. She was still mad at him because he could not tell her he loved her. She did not understand it was impossible for him to say these words, even though he would feel for her. But, tonight, he was happy she came to him. He grabbed gently her hand and kissed her palm before turning to her. He gasped and recoiled: it was Melisandre.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see my King", she smiled, getting closer from him.

Stannis looked down and moved away from her:

"It's late. I'm going to sleep. Goodnight Melisandre."

She stayed in front of him:

"Ypur grace, I cannot fulfill your will if you don't give yourself to me. All of yourself, my King."

Her hand ran up and down his chest. He took it off.

"I have a wife. And I love her."

Melisandre stared at him and snorted out loud. Stannis scowled at the Red Woman.

"Oh my King… It is not love you feel for Margaery. Lust, of course. Tenderness maybe. But not love. Love ME, my King, and I will give you a son."

Stannis had to hold back the triumphant smile these words provoked.

"I will have a son", he said, getting closer to her.

She put her hands on his arms: her skin was so warm he could feel it through the leather of his clothes.

"Yes, my King. I will give you a son."

He bent down on her, as to kiss her but, while his lips were a few millimeters from hers, he whispered:

"Margaery is with child. Crassen says it will be a boy."

Then he recoiled brutally and left the room. His heart was hammering in his chest: Melisandre was beautiful, he could not deny that, but Margaery was his wife and she was close to give him what he had expected for years. He had to trust her, to trust Davos. But this damned Davos. Where was he? It has been months now since he left for Dorne. He could be dead to sea and he would not even know. He closed his eyes, trying to calm down the furious beats of his heart before joining Margaery.

She watched him leave and looked down. _The little slut was pregnant._ Melisandre watched outside, she watched at the stars, looking for a sign the God of Light would send to her. Then she prayed, silently, her eyes closed. The fire in one of the torches crackled violently and she turned to it, frowning. She walked closer, and stood in front of it, watching, waiting for a sign. Her eyes narrowed and then widened little by little. Her lips slightly opened and she gasped, but soon, her lips smiled. The vision she had was terrible. Terrible and beautiful. And perfect. So perfect. When it disappeared, she burst out laughing and walked back to her room. She walked by Stannis and Margaery and listened to them. _Enjoy yourselves; enjoy her while you can, my King. Soon, you'll regret having married her._ After a moment, she walked again to her room, opened the door and sighed seeing the cold bed which was waiting for her. She looked at the mirror, touched her face, her beautiful face, her red hair. She undid the laces of her dress and let it fall on the floor. Her hands ran on her naked body, pinching gently her nipples. She loved how her body reacted to her strokes. She could give so much pleasure to Stannis, if only he let her do. Selyse should have never died. He did not love her, he did not desire her. He would have fallen for her any time if she had been still alive. But she was dead, Margaery was his wife and now she was pregnant. She almost despaired. But she remembered the vision in the flames and she was smiling when she lied in her bed.


	12. Chapter 12

_Thanks to the new followers/reviewers! Welcome to the new readers_

Pacing up and down, Stannis could not calm down. A letter from Catelyn Stark had just arrived. She told Stannis how Robb had been injured during a battle, how this Greyjoy boy had taken Winterfell and killed the last Starks there were. How Robb, learning about the treason of the one he saw as his brother and about the murder of his little brothers, had fallen in love with the girl who healed him, and married her. Married her! Stannis kicked a wooden chair, in front of Melisandre, calm as ever.

"Stupid boy", he groaned.

"I warned you, my Lord. I told you did not need Robb Stark, or Theon Greyjoy, or Renly. All you need is faith. Faith in R'hllor, in me, in yourself."

"Faith do not win wars. Soldiers do", he spat back.

"My King…"

"Silence!" he shouted at her.

The young wolf had gotten married with this girl, when he had to marry a Frey. Catelyn wrote it was okay, that Edmure, her brother, will replace Robb. Stannis snorted with the irony of the situation: did Catelyn really think the old Frey would forgive and forget about that insult? Did she know him so little? He took his head in his hands and stifled a yell, biting his fist. A yell of rage, of despair. These stupid Starks were going to ruin it all.

Margaery was walking by the sea, holding her brother's arms. All smile, she had just told him about the baby. Stannis wanted her to be cautious: she understood his reaction, after all the dead babies Selyse had, but she was so happy she wanted to tell everybody. And Loras was her brother, he had to be the first to know after Stannis. He looked overjoyed and right after, worried.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

Margaery smiled and kissed his cheek gently:

"I feel really good. Really, really good. So happy, and not tired at all. Maester Cressen says it is probably a boy."

"How can he know that?" Loras asked in a dubious way.

She shrugged: she didn't know and she didn't care. She felt it was a boy. She had no idea how or why, she just felt it. She looked around as they were walking: she had ended up loving Storm's End. She missed Highgarden of course but her new home was not so bad. Sometimes, the castle looked a bit gloomy – well, it was the Baratheon's place – but she loved its massive outer curtain wall, the sound of the sea at nights. She smiled at Loras and they stopped walking, leant on the wall and looked at the sea.

"How is Stannis with you?" she asked.

They never really talked about her husband. And Stannis never talked about her brother. Loras shrugged and ran a hand in his beautiful curly hair:

"As nice as he can be I suppose. But I don't care. He can be nasty with me, as long as he treats you well."

Margaery's smile broadened and she took his hand:

"He makes me very happy"

"Do you know when the baby will be born?" he asked with a smile.

She nodded:

"Around winter"

Loras sighed:

"Let's hope he won't be born during the real winter…"

Margaery nodded sadly and saw a crow flying to the tower. _Dark wings, dark words_. She suddenly had a weird feeling and she took Loras's hand, took him back inside. While they were rushing back in the tower, they did not see the ship which had dropped anchor as close as the sea would allow it.

Stannis was reading the letter, again and again and again. He was trying, hoping the words would be different if he read it a million times. But the words were the same. And they felt like a million stabs in his chest. The letter had been written hastily, he could see it. He was still holding it when Loras and Margaery came in. She noticed her husband's look and turned to Melisandre. The Red Priestess was smiling. Maybe her impression was wrong then, maybe those were good news. But Stannis looked as if he had seen a ghost: pale, his jaw clenched harder than ever. He turned to Margaery and, without a word, held the letter to her. She felt Loras behind her and they both read it.

"Robb Stark is dead. Catelyn is dead. She ordered Brienne of Tarth to take Jaime Lannister to King's landing so she would get her daughters back. They're all dead, they're all dead…" the young Queen read out loud.

Margaery gaped and turned to Stannis:

"What happened? No other news? Who killed them? When?"

Stannis glanced at Melisandre.

"I'm talking to you, Stannis. Not her", Margaery snapped.

"They were killed during Edmure Tully's wedding."

"During a wedding? How dare they?" Margaery whispered and sat down suddenly.

"It was Walder Frey. He did not forgive Robb for marrying another woman than his daughter. I knew he would never forgive that. He allied with the Lannisters. And now, Robb's army is destroyed", he sighed wearily.

Margaery came to him and embraced him. She looked at Melisandre:

"It's true", Melisandre nodded.

"All his men, all his bannermen…" Stannis said, as if he was talking to himself.

"No survivors at all?" Loras asked.

"A few. Edmure Tully is Frey's prisoner now. Bryden Tully survived. He sent the letter", he said, nodding at the piece of paper.

"We shall avenge them."

"My King", Margaery said, kneeling in front of him. "Send a message to the North. To those loyal to Robb. Say you were his ally, and that you'll avenge his death. Say you need all the men to join you. This massacre… This slaughter will unite the North behind you, and against Tywin Lannister."

Her eyes were sparkling with a weird glimpse and Stannis did not like that. She was almost…thrilled by the news. He stood up and walked to the door. He turned around to look at them, and stepped out: he bumped into someone and looked up.

"Your Grace", Davos said, recoiling.

"Ser Davos. You're late", Stannis coolly said.

"Sorry, your Grace. Sea was not helpful", the old smuggler retorts.

He glanced in the room and looked back at Stannis:

"What's going on?"

"We need to talk."

Melisandre walked to the door and Stannis glared at her:

"Alone"

He closed the door on him and Davos and he led him out.

At night, he was back in his commanding room and sat on the chair with a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes: the day had been long, tiring, and shitty for the most part. He started to drift off to sleep when hands on his shoulders made him startle. _Oh, no, not again_. Keeping his eyes shut, he groaned: "Go away". "Okay", he heard and realized it was Margaery. He grabbed her hand:

"No, no. Sorry. I thought it was Melisandre."

Her eyes turned from amused to dark and angry:

"Melisandre?"

Stannis did not know what to say and he just looked down.

"MELISANDRE?" Margaery yelled. "I am stroking your shoulder and you think it is this…whore?"

"Don't call her that", Stannis scowled at her.

"Why not? You prefer me to call her your lover? Your mistress?"

Stannis stood up and tried to take her in his arms but she pushed him away and dissolved into tears.

"You shag her?" she asked, crying.

"No… Of course not. You know me. I am not this kind of man."

She kept sobbing, walking away from him:

"Since you learned for the baby, you have not come to me. Not once."

"Maester Cressen said it could be dangerous. Margaery, please… I am not cheating on you. I… You're my wife. I… I…"

She knew what he wanted to say and it both amused and terrified her to see him stumbling on the words. What happened to the boy he was to be so afraid of love? Afraid of feeling it, afraid of telling it? She cupped her face and stared at him:

"I need to hear it. I need it."

He looked at her and shook his head:

"I can't. I'm sorry I can't."

He looked lost, scared. Something happened. Something else than Robb's murder. She knew him, he was right. She could feel when something was wrong.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Davos came back… He had a letter for me… The Night's Watch… They need help… Jeor Mormont is dead. His men mutinied. And there are the Wildlings trying to invade them, and the White Walkers. The White walkers are not a legend. They fought some of them. What shall I do? I can unite the North and take Casterly Rock. I can just ignore them, as all the others will do."

Her hands still on his cheeks, he looked at her, seeking desperately for an answer. She faintly smiled and said:

"You are not like the others. You are the best man I've ever known. You need to help these men. Because if the Wall falls, if the Night's Watch falls, we are all dead. All", she insisted, taking his hand and putting it on her belly.

He nodded slightly and she added:

"I am coming with you. I'm not letting Melisandre alone with you. When will you leave?"

"I need some time to assemble the greatest army possible. Send crows to the North, unite the Lords, explain them what is going on, and probably meet them all up there", Stannis said, firmly.

Margaery nodded and she slid her hand in his:

"But now, you need to sleep."

 _Because the night is dark and full of terrors_ , he could not help thinking and a violent shiver ran up and down his spine.


	13. Chapter 13

_Thanks for the lovely reviews and the new followers! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!_

The letters to the Northerners were sent the following day. Stannis got the army ready: he did not take all of it. The rest of the army had to stay in Storm's End, and had to warn him of everything that was going on. He met Renly outside, by the big wall, watching at the ships getting ready.

"Ready to leave?" he asked Renly.

Renly turned to him and nodded slightly:

"What are you going to do about Brienne? I swear I did not tell her anything, I am not involved in the Kingslayer's escape."

"I know", Stannis sighed. "And I will not harm her. She can take the Kingslayer to King's Landing. I would not trust Cersei Lannister. I don't understand why Catelyn thought she would free her daughters in exchange of him."

"A mother's love is pretty blind, I guess", Renly shrugged.

Stannis turned to him, and leant by his side.

"Do you remember Mother?" he suddenly asked.

Renly gave him a surprised look: Stannis never talked about his parents. And he barely talked to Renly or Robert, anyways. His brother did not look back; he looked fascinated by the sea stretching in front of them, by the ships and the cries of the men who were organizing his fleet.

"Not at all", Renly answered. "You?" he hesitantly asked.

Stannis nodded slowly.

"How was she?" he asked again.

He wanted to know more about his parents. He was only 1 when they died. Stannis and Robert were already teenagers.

Stannis smiled softly:

"She was very beautiful and kind. She loved all of us a lot. Her hair was brown, but not as dark as ours, more like Margaery's. Her eyes were blue, very pale. She loved sewing and playing with us. She did not like when Robert and I were fighting, or training with swords. Father said we had to learn how to fight, but Mother hated it. She could not watch us. So, instead, she walked by the sea, or she left with her horse. She loved the sea, she loved sailing. She was a true kind woman, really loving and caring with Father and us. I remember how happy and surprised they were when she learnt she was having you. Not that they were old, but I think you were not expected. Robert and I were so excited, honestly. A new little brother for Robert and I stopped being the youngest one. Mother made us feel you moving in her womb, she was always smiling when we did it. She was always smiling basically. Then they left to find Rhaegar's bride, and, well you know how it ended… Father had told Mother to take you with them but Mother insisted that you stayed with us. We all found it weird back then but… Maybe she had an intuition or something, I don't know."

Renly had stared at his brother the whole time he was speaking. He kept staring at him when he said:

"Those are more words about them than you've spoken since I was born…"

Stannis did not look at him, he just shrugged and turned to go. Renly stood up and watched him walk away. He was almost at the door, going back inside, when Renly suddenly shouted:

"You'll be a bloody good king."

His hand on the handle, Stannis turned to him after a few seconds:

"I know."

When he opened the door, he was grinning broadly.

The first answers from the Northerners reached Storm's End after a few days: mostly positive, they were calling for revenge and for the heads of the Boltons, the Freys and the Greyjoys. They were also saying that Theon Greyjoy had taken Winterfell, and that his sister, Asha, told him to go back to the Iron Islands with her. He refused and stayed in Winterfell. The Boltons thought they were the most powerful house in the North now, and they would take Winterfell back. Stannis wanted to let them do. _Let the Greyjoys and the Boltons kill each other. Fewer enemies for us_ , he told Davos and Renly, when they were reunited to talk about the battles to come. They agreed and Stannis read again the letters: the Manderlys, the Glovers, even the Mormonts were joining his forces around the Wall. He chose the most trustworthy men he had to answer them and Stannis then left to his ships to spend some time with his men. He was impatient: impatient to fight, impatient to actually do something to get the throne. Stannis spent a lot of time in Storm's End's library but he did not find anything about the White Walkers. Nothing useful, anyway. A servant came to tell him the dinner was ready and he looked up at him surprised: it was dark outside, but he had not realized it was that late. He closed the book he was reading and joined Margaery and Shireen upstairs. They were already eating, as well as Renly. He nodded at Renly and smiled at his wife and daughter. Margaery smiled back, Shireen too, but they looked worried and sad.

"Everything's okay?" Stannis asked as the servant was bringing him food.

Margaery nodded but Shireen stared at her father and said:

"I'm scared you might die at the Wall. Why do you have to go there?"

"Because it's my duty, as the King. Protector of the Realm, you do remember the titles, right?" Stannis answered.

Shireen nodded approving.

"But you could die…" she whispered sadly.

Margaery, by her side, stroked her hair gently and gave a knowing look at Stannis. For a moment, he remained silent: the Wall first. Then Winterfell, and so many battles before King's Landing were awaiting him.

"If I die, Renly will be the heir. He will take care of you."

Margaery closed his eyes and glared at him, as if it was precisely that kind of things she did not want him to say. Shireen gave her father a shocked look and mumbled:

"Can I leave? I'm not hungry anymore."

"Go ahead", Stannis said and the little girl left the room. Margaery glared again at him:

"Can't you be sweeter with her? She loves you, she doesn't want to see you die."

"I'm going at war. I'm going to fight the Wildlings, the Boltons, the Freys. Of course I might die. She needs to understand how the world works now. I'm a King, and I'm a commander. I can't let my men fight alone. I have always fought by their side. That's why they respect me, that's why they follow me."

He grabbed his glass and drank lengthily before putting it back on the table brutally. Margaery startled and Renly gave him a disapproving look. He looked back at him, then his eyes met Margaery's and he sighed:

"I am scared too. But I don't have a choice. We can't stay here forever, and if we don't go to war, war will come at us. We need to help the Night's Watch. It's our duty. I would be ashamed if I stayed here knowing what threatens them."

"I know", Margaery said. "I know."

She took his hand and her thumb stroked his fingers.

"Your Grace?" a servant hesitantly asked.

"Yes?"

"Ser Davos asks to be received."

Stannis frowned slightly and nodded: Davos came in, a piece of paper in his hand. Seeing his face, Stannis immediately knew those were no good news.

"Speak", he commanded.

"The Freys have besieged Riverrun. The Lannisters are going to join them."

"Does Blackfish have allies to help him?" Stannis asked.

Davos shook his head:

"Most of the other Lords have bent the knees in front of Joffrey."

Stannis held back a sigh: Bryden Tully was now an ally, and he could not leave him alone.

"How many are they?" he asked, looking at Davos.

"2,000 Freys and almost as many Lannisters."

Stannis's mind immediately started to count and to face any eventuality. Davos, Renly and Margaery remained silent: they knew they should not disturb him.

"How many men shall I send?" he asked Renly.

"How many can you send?" his brother asked back.

Stannis stood up and walked slowly around the table:

"We should hit hard. It's time to show Westeros how powerful we are, how great is our army and how brave are our men."

He stopped walking and turned to Renly:

"I give you 8,000 men."

Surprise could be seen on Renly's face. He looked at everyone in the room:

"Give _me_?"

Stannis nodded:

"Will you win this battle for me, brother?"

Davos and Margaery looked at each other: they both held back a delighted smile. They have waited for this for a long time. Davos had always feared that Stannis would never forgive his brother. But, somehow, was it really forgiveness or just a way to see if he was really loyal to him? 8,000 men were more than the double of the Freys. Maybe it was just a tempting cake to see if Renly would fight for his brother or fight for himself. Davos watched Renly standing up and getting closer from Stannis.

"I will", he firmly asserted, holding his hand at Stannis.

After a brief hesitation, he shook it firmly.

"Loras will go with you"

Margaery protested:

"Loras is a Kingsguard. He has to stay with the King."

"Loras will do what I command him to do. He'll go with Renly."

Margaery protested again:

"I want my brother to be with me. How long will the travel to Castleblack last? I'll probably give birth there! I need Loras!"

Stannis turned to her, as well as Renly and Davos. She had good arguments, but Loras was born to fight at wars. He needed to go to this battle.

"My army needs one of his most skilled warriors. Your brother is a warrior, not a maester. Riverrun is not that far, he'll meet us at the wall once they had freed Riverrun."

"But…" Margaery started but Stannis groaned.

"Stop questioning my orders. Go and say goodbye to him. We're leaving for Castleblack tomorrow."

Margaery bit her lower lip and rushed out of the room. Stannis did not even run after her: he had other problems to deal with.

"I'll talk to her later", he told Davos and Renly, before leading them to his commanding room and prepares the strategy of the attack on Riverrun.

Margaery walked back to her room her eyes red. She had cried a lot when she was with Loras, he had tried to solace her but it was useless. She was a bit reassured to know he would be by hers and Stannis's side at the Wall and now, her hopes had been crashed. When she opened the door, Stannis was here. On their bed, naked, he looked like he was waiting for her. She sniffled and wiped her tears away. Silently, she undid the laces of her dress and lied next to him. Margaery did not want to cause a fuss. As soon as she lied next to him, her husband put his hand on her belly and stroked it gently. She smiled, her eyes still tearful:

"I cannot feel him moving yet", she said.

"I know. I just want him to know I'm here", Stannis replied, looking up at her. His hand reached her face and he wiped away a lonely tear on her cheek. She faintly smiled.

"I have talked to Loras. He wants to fight at Riverrun", she said.

"He's a soldier", Stannis asserted. "I know you and your father want him to be otherwise but he'll never be. He is a soldier as Renly is a Lord, as you are a Queen, as Shireen is a princess", he smiled.

Margaery sighed, stroking Stannis's fingers:

"I know."

"He will win this battle, and all the others he will fight in. Do not worry for him."

She nodded and moved closer to him, burying her face in his neck, smelling his scent. Stannis stroked her back and her hair gently, enjoying her warm body against his. He wanted her, but Cressen had said it could be dangerous for her and the baby. Margaery stroked him too and she soon felt how excited he was. She ran her hand on his chest, his stomach and he recoiled when she took his shaft in her hand. She leant closer and whispered: "Let me pleasure you" in his ear. He did not even nod; he just held her tighter and gasped when she started stroking him and rubbing him. He sighed her name, closed his eyes, feeling her hair against his nose. It was tickling him slightly but it felt good, so good. Her palm had grabbed his cock firmly and was rubbing it up and down, there slowly, there quickly, alternating the pace wonderfully. He felt her thumb running on the tip, her hand releasing his cock and the sound of a finger licked. Then the grip started again, more firmly, more demanding. The movements sped up and he felt her nails digging into his skin, her short breath against his ear, her hot tongue sucking on his lobe as she was now rubbing him faster. He opened his eyes wide when he finally came, jolting his hot semen on her belly. She brushed his skin gently for a moment, until her strokes became lighter and lighter and ended up stopping. He looked at her: she had fallen asleep. He kissed her lips gently and slowly drifts off to sleep too.

A few days later, they were sailing to Eastwatch. Margaery did not leave her cabin, or seldom. She was very sick, barely could bear the movements of the sea. Shireen, her, was a true Baratheon. Standing at the bow of the ship, she looked happier than she had ever been. Davos and Stannis were looking at her, smiling slightly. They had left at the same time than Renly and Loras, and they hoped they would get to Riverrun safe. Winning the Tullys at their cause would be great: the family was ancient and highly respected. Stannis knew the Blackfish: he would never surrender. The journey to Castleblack was long and tiring. But they were lucky: the sea was calm, they did not face any storm, and the wind pushed them forward. Melisandre was praying a lot, but Stannis did not believe it was thanks to her God. They were just lucky. Once they reached Eastwatch, Margaery's belly had grown way bigger than when they left. She felt better too, but was happy to finally walk and not sail. Maester Cressen was going with them, just in case Margaery had a problem with the baby, or that they would stay longer than expected. Anyway, the child would be born in the North, for sure. Stannis gave his men a few days to recover from the journey before telling them to get ready to attack the Wildlings. Margaery rode with them until they installed the camp not far from the battlefield. There, Shireen and she said goodbye, one more time, to Stannis. Margaery walked back in her tent when they were gone and she waited for the new battle's sounds. She hoped, she hoped so much that, once Stannis would be on the throne, all these battles and dead would stop, that they could all live in peace, not only her and her family, but also all these soldiers, all these innocent people. She was sewing, as usual, Shireen was reading a book. Should it be their ritual? Every time Stannis would risk his life, they would sew and read? Margaery watched her daughter-in-law, concentrated on her reading, and smiled. The needle she was using was sewing quickly between her hands: Stannis had given her a bear's fur and she was making a coat for Shireen. The bond between her and the little girl had grown stronger and stronger. A sudden belly cramp made her stop and wince : Shireen looked up and asked worriedly if she was okay. Margaery nodded, a smile replacing her wince little by little.

"Come feel your little brother kicking", she said softly.

Shireen grinned, jumped on her feet and rushed to her. She placed her little hand on her belly, hesitantly, and Margaery guided her. She pressed her against her skin:

"There. Can you feel?"

Shireen held her breath.

"No", she softly said.

Margaery waited with her and suddenly felt another kick. Shireen startled and then laughed. She turned marveled eyes to Margaery and the Queen smiled at her.

"How does it feel?" she asked Margaery, keeping her hand on her belly.

"Quite strange, to be honest. And it's a wonderful feeling at the same time."

"Father will be so delighted with the news", Shireen said.

"I hope so", Margaery replied, turning her face to the battlefield. They could still see the snow turning into white cold clouds as the horses were galloping to the wildlings. And, suddenly, they heard the shouts of Stannis's men, and the yells of the Wildlings. As for the battle against Renly, the young woman held the young girl in her arms, rocking her slowly, whispering reassuring words in her ears, words she hardly believe herself, and they waited together. The battle had just begun.


	14. Chapter 14

She was walking slowly in the forest. Darkness fell not long ago, but she already could barely see where she was going. On the look-out, she was progressing carefully: the forest was full of predators. Therefore, she stayed as close as she could from the big stag which was walking ahead of her. She could hear the swishing of the leaves in the trees, the soft sound oh her steps on the fresh grass. Her male had stopped to graze, and she looked at him before watching all around her. She was not hungry, but she was thirsty, very thirsty. She walked away from him as she heard the lovely sound of water flowing. She followed the smell and the sound of water and she soon joined a beautiful stream. Suddenly, she hesitated. The water looked weird. But a voice softly said "Drink, drink", and she walked to the water. She looked behind her but the stag was not here anymore. A bit panicked she looked for him and cried out. But he did not answer and the thirst was unbearable now. She would join him later. She bent down and drank lengthily. The water tasted weird, she did not like it, but at least it was water. Suddenly, she heard a branch cracking. She startled and got ready to flee, but she wanted to wait a bit. It was probably nothing. She smelled the air and immediately ran away: she knew this smell, she knew it so well. The smell of death. She ran as fast as she could, crying out for the male she had lost. She ended up seeing him; he was running ahead of her. She tried to catch up, but he was stronger and faster than her. She saw something running after her, but she did not know what it was. It was not a wolf, she knew their smell, nor a bear. It was something different and that terrified her. She sped up again, running on the grass, jumping the dead trunk, weaving between the trees. Her legs started to hurt, her heart was pounding hard and fast. The freezing cold was paralyzing her, who was so used to a warm climate. She kept staring at the stag, he would give her the strength to survive. She heard another weird sound and, before she knew it, she rolled on the grass violently. The beast was on her, and it had made her fall. She saw the stag stopping running and she begged him to come and save her. But a brutal and lasting pain made her cry and the stag glanced at her before running away. She tried to free herself but only managed to look at the beast. Her eyes widened with fright and death throe: the beast had opened her belly wide and was eating her alive. She shrieked, again and again, the pain was so awful, overwhelming her whole body. But no one came and she felt her strength and her life abandoning her. She laid her head on the fresh grass, smelling the frozen air and closed her eyes.

Margaery sat up yelling with fear: she needed a moment to realize where she was. A candle was burning, lighting up slightly the room where she was. Her dream had been so real, so violent: she could still feel the beast's fangs tearing her flesh apart, feel her blood running out in the grass, feeling so, so cold. She started to cry, with the shock, and held her belly as she looked for comfort. Stannis was not here: they had burnt Mance Ryder after he had refused again and again to kneel before him. The King had talked with Samwell Tarly, a good lad, who had killed a White Walker. He had talked about the dragonglass, saying it could kill the White Walkers. They had no clue what could kill them apart from that. Dragonglass was not common. They had seen the Night's Watch electing Jon Snow as their Lord Commander, Stannis looked like he liked the boy. But, he was young, so young… He had welcomed them warmly, and they had not missed anything, even though the looks some of these men gave to her made her shiver with repulsion. Margaery was spending a lot of time with Shireen and Master Aemon. The old man was fascinating, and he knew so many things. He told her a lot about the Baratheons, it was difficult to have moments with her husband as they were preparing the future battles. They had been there wince a few days when they received a message from Riverrun. " _Riverrun is free. We've lost 300 men, all the Freys are dead, and we killed most of the Lannisters. We made some prisoners and you will decide what you're gonna do with them. I thought Bryden Tully was going to kiss me! We are joining you at Castleblack as soon as possible. Loras has been injured in the battle, an arrow in the thigh. But he made it and he is recovering quite fast. We will see each other soon, brother._ " The message was signed by Renly. Margaery, alone in her bed, smiled softly thinking about her brother. Her hands ran on her thighs and she suddenly freeze. She was wet. She cursed herself: her dream had been so scary she had an accident. Angry after her, she pushed the sheets away. That's when she saw the blood. Blood which was red, almost purple. Then, she felt the need, the urge to push. To push her baby out of her belly. Margaery yelled. She yelled as she had yelled in her dream, with fear, and pain, and sorrow. She could not stop yelling, even when the servants ran in her room, the guards, Maester Cressen, even Jon Snow. It's only when Stannis came in, that his eyes stopped on the bloody sheets, that she stopped yelling. She cried instead, cried her eyes out, repeating like a litany: "I've lost the baby, I've lost the baby". She repeated that sentence, again and again and again, knowing perfectly the baby was dead, feeling it deep inside her, but unable to believe it. Through the fog of her tears, she saw Melisandre laying her hand on Stannis's shoulder. And a smile rove on her lips.


	15. Chapter 15

_Please R &R. I also would like to hear about your opinions on Denerys, I have honestly no idea of what I'm gonna do with her…_

Margaery was holding her stillborn son in her arms, and she couldn't take her eyes off him. She had cried, a lot, and yelled with pain, with physical and mental pain, when she had to deliver the baby. Deep inside, she knew he could not have survived. But, still, she hoped that he cried. The silence that followed his birth broke her heart. The sorry look Gilly, the wildling who helped her deliver, had made her hated her, and immediately felt bad for it. It was not this girl's fault. Maester Cressen had come to see her when she had washed. She was already holding the baby in her arms. He had tried to talk to her but she could not answer. She had not said a word since that happened. Servants proposed her food and drinks, but she was not hungry, or thirsty. She did not feel anything except emptiness. Margaery did not know how long had passed: Stannis had not come to see her. She slightly smiled looking at her baby: somehow, he was monstrous. Somehow, he looked like Stannis. He was very little and very skinny, he was not bigger than Master Cressen's palm, when he held him. But he was perfectly formed: ten fingers, ten toes, a nose, two eyes, he had everything, everywhere. She could even see dark down on his skull: if he had lived, he would have been with hair. With dark hair, as every Baratheon. She wondered how Stannis looked like when he was born, and suddenly eyed the door: part of her wanted him to come in, part of her wanted never to see him again. She knew Cressen, and Davos had tried to talk to him but it had been useless. She remembered how he looked at her, how disappointed he was. She felt a knock in her stomach and a brutal and intense pain in her breasts: she gasped and looked down. Her tunic was drenched on her chest; she could see her nipples through the fabric. She undid the laces, not understanding what was happening and then she saw. She saw milk flooding from her breasts. She cried out for help: she did not know what to do, she did not understand why she was having milk when her baby was dead, she did not understand her body's reaction. The door opened but it was not a servant or Cressen who came in. Stannis did. She gasped again when she saw him and covered her chest with her tunic. She was ashamed, ashamed that he saw her like that, vulnerable, weak, tears running on her cheeks, milk flooding from her breasts and drenching her clothes, her belly, even the sheets of her bed. He did not say a word. He walked to her and sat by her side. She was looking away, still holding the baby. Stannis took her chin between his thumb and his forefinger and made her look at him. She felt the beatings of her heart speeding up brutally and she closed her eyes so tight she thought she could split her eyelids.

"Look at me".

It was an order. She let out a loud sob and shook her head frenetically. He grabbed her chin harder, almost hurting her, and repeated:

"Look at me."

She whimpered:

"Leave me alone. Leave me alone."

As if the baby could comfort her, she held it tighter and closer from her chest.

"I have to take the baby. Snow says we have to burn him."

There were no emotions in his voice, no pain, no anger. Nothing. She could have thought he was talking about a piece of wood. She ended up opening her eyes and stared at his: he stared back.

"You're not feeling anything?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Selyse had several stillborns. I am used to it", he coldly said.

"I… I'm sorry… I… I did nothing wrong… I was having this dream and… Forgive me… Forgive me…" she cried.

"There's nothing to forgive. Those things happen. Especially to me", he answered wearily.

She wiped away her tears, anger replacing pain and sorrow:

"How dare you? It did not happen to you! It happened to me! You have no idea how it is… How it feels… To know… To know he's dead… And you still have to push him out of you! You still pray for a miracle! You still hope that he lives! Don't say it happened to you! It happened to me! Only me!"

He kept staring at her, his jaw clenched, grinding his teeth. When she stopped shouting and that she started crying again, he calmly said:

"Give him to me."

She pulled the dead baby closer and shook her head frenetically.

"Margaery", he sighed. "Give me the baby."

"I can't!" she cried.

He lost patience: he had never been patient. And now, in the middle of the yells, the tears, the whimpers, he felt like his head was going to explode and that he could not stay by her side. He couldn't stand this situation anymore. Yes, he had to burn this baby, and to forget about him. Margaery should do the same. She was young, she could get pregnant again easily. Someone knocked on the door and he spat, angry:

"What?"

"Can I come in, your Grace?"

It was Jon Snow's voice. He stood up and went open the door:

"She doesn't want to let the baby go", he told Snow, not really knowing why.

Jon nodded:

"Can I talk to her? Alone", he precised.

Stannis nodded and left the room. He waited in the corridor for a few minutes. No more yells, no more cry. When Jon got out, he glanced at Stannis and left. Stannis followed him:

"What did she say?"

"She wants a drawing of the baby. We have a young man, who's very gifted. I'm fetching him."

Stannis grabbed his arm to stop him:

"She is insane. You said we had to burn the baby."

"It's her first-born. She'll never forget him, your Grace. You neither."

Jon moved away and left.

Stannis was in the room as the boy was drawing. No one was talking, Margaery had stopped crying. When he was done, the man gave the drawing to Margaery and bowed. She slightly smiled looking at it:

"Thank you", she softly said and gave the baby away.

Stannis did not leave with the man. He sat by Margaery again. Her slight smile disappeared right away and she moved away from him.

"It was her."

Stannis gave her an inquiring look:

"What?"

"Your red whore killed my baby."

She was saying this with a surd voice. Stannis stood up:

"She is no whore."

Margaery laughed. An angry, bitter laugh:

"She has killed our baby and you are still defending her. What king of husband are you? What kind of king?"

He clenched his jaws:

"Do you have any proofs?"

She remained silent and he glared at her:

"You can't accuse someone without proofs."

"I know it's her. I know it."

"Why would she do that?" Stannis asked as calmly as he could, while he was boiling with rage from inside.

"I think she loves you. I think she wants to be your queen."

"Nonsense", he groaned and walked away. His hand was on the handle when she spoke again:

"Now you have to choose. Me or her."

He turned to her: her face was not angry or sad anymore. Her eyes narrowed and she stared back at him. He knew she was serious. He looked down and walked out of the room.


	16. Chapter 16

« Have I not warned you, my King ? Have I not told you who she was?"

Melisandre was walking around Stannis, hiding her delighted smiles. Her plot was perfect: the young rose had not needed many days to press Stannis to choose between the two women. The King was cold with her since what happened to the baby, but she was not mad at him: he had never known how to deal with his feelings. Now, he was standing, staring at the wall in front of him, not even glancing at the Red woman. He honestly was tired, so tired: Margaery was mad at him, the men did not know what they were waiting for before attacking Winterfell, Davos was advising him, Melisandre was advising him. There were moments when he wanted to take his horse and ride back to Storm's End. Being alone, bathe in the sea; try to kill seagulls, why not. But he knew those times were over. Somehow, he regretted them.

"She will be like Selyse. She will not give you anything. Her children will be stillborns."

Melisandre's sweet and bewitching voice was sounding weird in his ears. He closed his eyes for a second and whispered:

"She's my wife and your Queen. Don't speak those words about her."

He heard her laugh. He wanted to order her to stop but he could not: he felt really bad, as if he was going to collapse or faint.

"I… I love her", he stammered.

He wanted to grab the chair in front of him but he grabbed Melisandre's arm instead.

"My king", she whispered in a seducing voice. He opened his eyes: she was naked in front of him. He had not even seen her undressing. He looked away:

"Dress up", he said.

"Let me give you a son", she got closer, stroking his hair.

He closed his eyes again: her hands were warm, her whole body was warm. He felt the urge, the need to bury himself in this warmth, and to forget about the freezing Wall. He shook his head and took a step backwards:

"Don't… Don't…"

She got closer, again, and he soon was trapped between the wall of the room and her. She stuck to him: her body was not warm, it was burning now. Stannis could feel drops of sweat falling from his temples, and his brain felt like hitting his crane. He needed fresh air, he needed to get out of here as soon as possible. Melisandre suddenly kissed him. For a second, he kissed back, and for a second, he thought he could pin her against the wall and take her. His whole body was tense, his headache was growing painful, and now he could feel he was having a hard-on. Melisandre's warmth was both painful and soothing. He sighed as her tongue stroked his but he brutally recoiled when her hand reached his crotch. He pushed her quite brutally and stormed out of the room. The fresh air hit him like a slap in his face. He felt dizzy, turned around and threw up.

"Are you alright, your Grace?"

He turned to see two of his men staring at him worried.

"I'm fine", he spat and they bowed before walking away.

He did not want to sound nasty, but he had to stay strong in front of the soldiers. He stayed outside, but his headache did not stop. Cressen could maybe help him. He walked to the Maester who gave him a sort of potion. He drank it and hesitated going to his room. He did not want to see Melisandre. Stannis walked to Margaery's room and knocked on the door: it was late and she was probably sleeping. But she said "Come in" and he did so, trying to smile at her. She raised an eyebrow: for days, they had not spoken. Stannis was busy with the war, Jon Snow was harassing him so he would help save the Wildlings from the Dead, and news from Winterfell was horrifying. Seeing Margaery did him good, even if she did not look exactly happy to see him. From the moment he left Melisandre, he has been hard, and it had not disappeared despite Cressen's potion. Margaery was standing by the bed, apparently ready to go and sleep. He walked to her, cupped her face and gave her a long and demanding kiss. She was as fresh as Melisandre was hot but, right now, freshness felt better than any fire. He did not really know if she was willing or not, but she nevertheless kissed back. Less enthusiastic, for sure, but still, she kissed back. Stannis took the most of it to take her tunic off and to free his cock from his pants. He just wanted to thrust in her until he came. She shivered as he pulled her closer and he wrapped his arms around her. "Cressen says we have to start again soon", he whispered as he ran his lips on her neck.

She tilted her head:

"Start what?"

He looked up at her:

"Why, trying for an heir…"

She took a step backwards:

"I don't know if I am ready…"

"Please… I'll be sweet, I promise."

He was desperate: he wanted her, now. He couldn't imagine her spurning him. Because, feeling the way he was feeling now, he would directly go see Melisandre. Margaery stared at him and nodded. Relieved, he got closer again and stroked her body. His hands ran on her delicate skin, drawing her spine with the tip of his fingers, grabbing her ass cheeks. Margaery moaned and undressed him, raising an eyebrow as she saw him ready.

"I want you", he sighed, as to apologize.

She smirked and kissed her deeply. He eyed the room: he did not want to do it in her bed. He took her away from it, still kissing her, more and more passionately. He slipped a hand between her thighs to check she was ready and he lifted her up. She gasped and soon, his cock slid in her warm and wet entrance. He sighed with pleasure and relieve, making her move up and down around him. She was frail and small; he did not need the wall to help him support her. Her slender arms and legs wrapped around him and she stared at him, her mouth half opened letting escape moans of pleasure, and gasps of surprise when he reached the bottom of her. She sighed his name as he was thrusting in her, pleasure soothing his headache little by little. As he promised, he was gentle and nice, but he came soon, before her, as usual, unable to restrain himself. Margaery laid gentle kisses on his temples, and on the little mole upper his lips. He liked the tenderness of the moment, but he felt bad she had not enjoyed it as much as he did and he took her to the little wooden desk there was at the end of the room. He made her sit on it, kissed her deeply and brutally turned her around.

Margaery was scared he would hurt her, but the cry that escaped her mouth was an ecstatic one. She loved when Stannis was this way, unleashed, noisy. With every thrust, he was groaning or sighing deeply. She could feel his hands grabbing her hips, squeezing her skin. Margaery dug her nails in the desk, and tried to move with him but he maintained her with authority. He was her King, and she had to obey her. She closed her eyes, pleasure was so intense. She wanted so much to come. Louder and louder moans were escaping her half-opened mouth and Stannis, too, was more and more noisy. His hands let her hips go to get a grip on her shoulders. She turned to him and her moans turned into shouts as he brutally sped belly was slamming against her butt violently, he was imposing a frantic rhythm but he honestly couldn't do otherwise. She was blowing her mind, he was too, he could not slow down now. Margaery was more and more noisy, she was sure she would finally come, this time. Just a few more seconds, and she'll make it… Stannis groaned in pleasure, closed his eyes, feeling his kidneys, his belly, his balls tightening and burning and he stayed deep in her as he released his semen in her. He let out a long moan, his legs shaking slightly too and he laid his sweaty forehead on her scruff. He smelled the floral scent of her hair, smiled as he felt his headache disappearing. Margaery, leaning on the table, moaned with frustration as much as he had done with pleasure. After a moment, she took his hand and led him to her bed. He didn't protest: he felt exhausted and fell asleep as soon as she huddled against him, their bodies covered by the white sheet and the warm blankets.


	17. Chapter 17

_Please R &R! Thanks guys!_

Stannis woke up early the following morning, as usual. He moved away from his wife carefully, willing to let her sleep as long as she wanted. He dressed up silently, glanced at her one last time before leaving the room. Cold grabbed his throat and his chest and he shivered violently. He headed to the kitchen to eat something: Davos and Jon Snow were here. They usually were the three first to be awake in mornings. He nodded at them as they stood up to salute him, grabbed bread and sat by Davos. Jon soon left to his commander's room, and Stannis turned to Davos:

"Any news from my brother?"

"No. But he should be here soon, your Grace."

Stannis nodded and chewed lengthily on his bread. He checked that they were alone, and he turned to Davos:

"Do you know what Margaery says about the Red Woman?"

Davos gave him an inquiring look and whispered:

"No."

Stannis sighed and swallowed his bread. It didn't taste very good, nothing did in Castleblack but he was not difficult. He had eaten leather when he was besieged by the Tyrells so bread tasted like a feast.

"She says Melisandre killed the baby."

Davos gaped:

"Really?"

Stannis knew Davos hated Melisandre but he still trusted him for being neutral. He wanted his advice on what happened. He nodded at him:

"Yes. She told me I had to choose between her and the Red Woman."

"But, why would the Red Woman kill your son, your heir? It doesn't make sense."

Stannis clenched his jaw and looked at his knight:

"I… I think she wants my son to be…hers."

Davos let out a loud sigh:

"Do you believe the Queen?" he asked his King.

Stannis shook his head:

"I don't know. From the very beginning, they had been jealous of each other. And… Melisandre kissed me, yesterday. She said Margaery would be like Selyse. She said only her could give me a son."

"Can I speak frankly, your Grace?"

Stannis nodded and Davos looked straight in his eyes:

"This woman is evil. Let her stay here when we'll march on Winterfell. I think you need some time with the Queen, especially after what happened. She says you need her to take Winterfell, I say we just need your soldiers. And they are good soldiers, your Grace. You are a great commander. We'll take Winterfell without her. When it's done, you'll decide what you'll do with her."

"What if we lose?" Stannis asked.

Davos smiled:

"With you, we won't lose."

Stannis smiled back slightly and nodded.

"Winterfell, and then King's Landing. When I will sit on the Iron Throne, you'll be my Hand."

Davos had smiled and lost it as quickly as it had appeared. He stared at his King, dumbfounded.

"Your Grace, I cannot be your Hand."

"Why not?"

"I'm a smuggler, your Grace. The Lords will not appreciate", Davos argued.

"May they go to hell", Stannis stood up and looked down at him. "I am the King. I trust you. You were a smuggler, Ser Davos. Not anymore. I don't care about the Lords' opinion. I know who you are; I know what you have done for me. You will be my Hand."

Davos stood up and kneeled in front of Stannis:

"It will be the greatest honor of my life, your Grace."

Stannis made him stand up again, slightly smiled, and left to his room.

Around noon, the watchers on the Wall warn them there were riders approaching. Margaery rushed to see who it was and she beamed before shouting to Stannis:

"It's Renly!"

The Night's watch opened the gate and Renly's men came in: they were many, and Stannis thought, relieved, that they would soon leave for Winterfell. Renly got down from his horse and bowed in Front of Stannis and Margaery. Loras was by his side, and looked tired and pale. He smiled to his sister, who hugged him tight. They did not know about the baby, and Margaery told them everything that happened during their absence. Stannis didn't like that she talked about that, but it looked like she needed to, even though she ended up crying and sobbing. He looked down and took Renly apart to talk about the battle in Riverrun and the next ones. Renly, sat by his side, drinking a beer, talked for a long time about the men, the enemies, how the Freys and the Lannisters had been surprised by their arrival, as Stannis thought, how they were acclaimed by the Tullys. Renly insisted that they should take the Twins, the Northerners would want a full revenge on the Freys, which meant killing them all. Moreover, Edmure Tully was still prisoner of the Freys, and Brynden wanted him back, even though he did not love his nephew a lot. He was still his family, the only family he was left with. Stannis agreed, and they looked at a map to think about the organization of the attack. As for Riverrun, they didn't need all the men to take Winterfell, nor all of them to take the Twins. The Freys had no more than 4,000 men, and the Boltons in Winterfell around 6,000. With Renly joining Stannis, the Baratheons had now more than 100,000. They were not as numerous in Castleblack, of course 100,000 men could not fit in there, but the rest of the army would join them. They had the number; they had the justice on their side. All the gold of the Lannister could never repay what Walder Frey and Roose Bolton had done. Stannis and Renly agreed that they would send 5,000 men at the Twins, and 10,000 at Winterfell. Renly asked if they had news from the Eyrie, but Stannis shook his head: the new master was Petyr Baelish and he did not want to ally with Stannis unless he would have Sansa Stark as his wife. Lysa Arryn was dead. But Sansa was betrothed to Renly, and Stannis wanted this marriage. The Starks were one of the most powerful houses in Westeros and he wanted Baratheon's blood to run in every big family of the realm. It was vital for the future peace. Renly did not say anything: he was still not very enthusiast about the young Stark. Maybe, when he would see her…. They did not know where Brienne was either, if Jaime Lannister was still her prisoner, if they were still alive. Stannis had no doubt Cersei would never let the Starks go home safe. Never. She will take her brother/lover back and will kill Brienne and the girls. Unfortunately, Stannis had no way to reach Brienne and Renly told him she would never abandon this mission. He knew he could not do anything for them. Brienne would have reached King's Landing long before him, she may have already been there. For the sake of the realm, he hoped she will succeed. Starks were needed. They were the House of the North and, if they disappeared, the Boltons would take their place. The North could not be controlled, he knew that. But a friend at its head would be vital. Robert was not the smartest King there was, but he understood this fact. Renly asked to stay for a week in Castleblack: Stannis send someone fetch Jon Snow and they negotiated. It was hard for the Night's watch: more people to feed, when they were the weakest watch there ever was. Jon asked Stannis a favor: he asked that the he would give them ships to fetch the Wildlings in Hardhome, where they had fled to after the battle of Castleblack and Stannis's attack.

"I need those ships to attack King's Landing", Stannis warned Jon.

The boy nodded:

"I know, your Grace. I promise I'll give them back to you. But I have to go fetch them, or they'll swell the ranks of the Dead."

Stannis gritted his teeth and glanced at Renly:

"There was something else I wanted to tell you before we leave to Winterfell. You are a Stark, Lord Commander. When I'll win the throne, I will make you Lord Jon Stark, lord of Winterfell and Governor of the North."

The boy turned as white as his wolf's fur. He bowed slightly and said:

"I am sorry, your Grace, but I cannot accept. I belong to the Night's Watch."

He turned to Renly and smiled at him:

"I hope my sisters are alive. I know, with Sansa's help, you will be a great governor of the North."

Renly smiled back at him. But Stannis could not let down this easily:

"You have broken your vows with a Wildling and now, you come and tell me you cannot be Lord of Winterfell?" he grinded his teeth.

The young commander did not lose countenance:

"Yes, Your Grace. I have broken my vows. I have made a mistake. Winterfell was my home. Not anymore. My home is Castleblack, my brothers are Sam, Ed, and the others. I have no father anymore, no sisters. Only brothers."

Stannis glared at him and showed the door with a nod. Jon understood and left after a bow. The King could not help but admiring the young boy for his loyalty to the Night's Watch. He was disappointed, though, that he would have to see the Starks disappearing from Westeros. He told Renly he had to see Margaery and he left. He found her in the common room, where she was chatting with Gilly. Margaery did not care about what the men of the Night's watch said: Gilly was the only woman here, well, except for Melisandre, and Margaery was naturally appealed by her. She would look after her son when Gilly was working for the Watch, talk about Highgarden and how she would love to see her there. When Stannis came in, Gilly stopped talking immediately and looked down. Margaery gave her a comforting smile and joined Stannis. He led her out and walked with her:

"We're leaving in a week", he said.

She looked at him and slightly smiled:

"How long will we have to walk before getting in Winterfell?"

"About a month", Stannis sighed. "But the men have to get there in shape."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled at him. Slightly embarrassed that the men could see them, he looked around.

"She's not here", Margaery stated.

"Who?" Stannis genuinely asked.

"Melisandre…"

Stannis let out a loud sigh:

"I don't care about Melisandre."

He moved away from Margaery's embrace but she saw the Red Woman walking out a room and looking at them. She grabbed Stannis's arm:

"Prove it."

She cupped his face and kissed him passionately, eyeing the witch, still staring at them. Stannis, unaware of Melisandre's presence, kissed his wife back happily. When they both looked for air, they broke the kiss. Margaery smiled and stroked the fur coat Stannis was wearing:

"You look really good"

Stannis smiled at her:

"Thank you. Talking about Melisandre, she is going to stay here, in Castleblack. I'm not taking her to Winterfell."

Margaery nodded approving:

"Good. But remember what I said. It's her, or me. If I am pregnant again, I don't want to ever see her. I am not joking, Stannis. I have never been more serious. I know she had killed our son. I know she feels for you, whatever it is."

Stannis did not want to talk about her. They were having a good moment together, and she would ruin everything.

"I will join you tonight", he said, stroking her hips.

"I will wait for my King", she bowed.

He gently took her chin and made her look at him, before kissing her again. He wanted to tell her he loved her, that she was the most important person of his life, that she was making him so happy, a happiness he never thought he could reach. But none of the words he wanted to say came out. He ran a hand in her hair, smiled at her and left back to Davos and Renly.


	18. Chapter 18

The following morning, Stannis bid farewell to Jon Snow and the Night's Watch. Everybody was already on horses when he joined his, got on it, and started to walk. The rest of the army, Shireen and Margaery followed him. The Queen turned one last time to look at Melisandre, staying here, and she waved at Gilly, holding her baby in her arms. She smiles back at her and Margaery rides by Shireen's side.

The road to Winterfell is long and tiring. But they walk quite fast. They leave as soon as the sun rises, and stops only when it's too dark to go on. After a few days, and while Stannis has allowed the men to stop to eat a bit, Margaery walks by him, brushing his hand, and walks away in the woods with a knowing look. The snow, the trees, the sounds of the forest reminds her weirdly of the dream, this awful dream she has made. Sometimes, at nights, she has this nightmare again, always the same, the look for water, the stag by her side, the beast, her death. Shivers of horror run up and down her spine and she tightens her coat around her chest. She suddenly feels a hand running on her scruff, grabbing her hair and making her turn around. Stannis's mouth crushes on hers, his tongue slips in her mouth in a demanding, passionate kiss. He takes her against a tree, far from the soldiers's look, and she bites the leather of his collar to stifle her moans. When they're done, Stannis directly goes back, after a kiss though, and Margaery stays alone, waiting for her heart to stop pounding so hard, for her legs to stop shaking and for her face to lose the red that stained her cheeks. When she feels ready, she walks back to the camp and observes Stannis, as he walks among his men. She has grew real love and affection for this man, twenty-one years older than her, a man who was dressing in dour, dark, utilitarian clothing. Margaery, her, was always smart, wearing flower-shaped dresses. She watches her husband and realizes how much he's not trying to be a King, he _is_ a king. He doesn't need fancy clothes, he doesn't need to treat other people like scum. He's a commander, that's who he is, and he knows clothes don't make a king. Victories do. Desire fills Margaery with brutal belly pangs as she wants her husband again. But, just when she's about to go see him, a soldier sounds the departure of the camp. Margaery sighs, walks to her horse and gets on it.

Stannis joins Margaery every night, but she soon feels sick and tired most of the time. She falls asleep on her horse often, and the leather of the saddle cuts into her thighs and her butt. When she gets down at night, Cressen gives her an ointment she applies with winces of pain. Sometimes, she just would like to walk among the soldiers, but she knows Stannis would never agree with it. After a month, she totally hates her horse, hates horseriding and she promises herself never doing it again. This is when they reach the place where Stannis decide to settle on. The young queen sighs with relief, and, as soon as the royal tent is pitched, she lies in the bed and falls asleep immediately.

Stannis walks in his commander's tent and prepares Winterfell's attack with Renly and Davos. They foresee to stay here for a week or so, just the time that the men recover from this long travel. Renly and Loras will then lead their men to the Twins, and will attack the Freys. Renly proposes that they go further and attack Casterly Rock, but Stannis refuses. He does not care about Casterly Rock. All his thoughts are focused on King's Landing. He will take Winterfell, yes, but the main target is King's Landing and these bloody Lannisters.

They've been here for three days when Stannis frowns at clamors from outside. Davos and he walk out of the tent to see what is going on: in front of them, a young woman, lean and long-legged, dressed up like a boy. She walks between the soldiers, led by two of them, who stop in front of Stannis and bow:

"Your Grace, this is our prisoner"

"I'm not a prisoner", the young girl says. "I came here to meet Stannis Baratheon. Why do you say that, you bloody liars?" she spats.

Davos raises an eyebrow at the young girl and Stannis clenches his jaw.

"I am Stannis Baratheon. And you are?"

The girl crosses her arms on her chest and looks up and down at him.

"Asha Greyjoy, daughter of Balon Greyjoy."

Murmurs spread among the soldiers. Renly arrives from his tent and stares at all of them. Stannis stares at her, and orders her to follow him before going in his tent, motioning Davos and Renly to come with him. Margaery, awake from her nap, walks behind them and goes stand next to Stannis. He whispers her name in Margaery's ear. Stannis offers a seat, food and water to Asha, wondering what the hell she is doing here, in Winterfell. The girl drinks lengthily, eats ravenously. Stannis glances at Davos, who slightly shrugs, not able to give answers to his King's questions.

"Your father is an usurper. He pretends to claim…" Stannis starts.

"My father's dead", Asha groans.

"Dead?" Stannis repeats, surprised. "How?"

"Fell from a bridge during a storm", she groans again.

"Fell during a storm? Balon Greyjoy?" Stannis ironically says.

Greyjoys were born surviving storms. It is an uncommon death for them. The young lady looks up at him and says, staring at his eyes:

"I am not here to talk about my father."

"Why are you here, then, my Lady?" Margaery asks with a smile.

"My brother is in Winterfell. Prisoner."

Her eyes stare at each and every one of them. Her black eyes stop lengthily on theirs, and they all feel scrutinized by the daughter of the Kraken.

"Your brother slaughtered the two Stark boys. He betrayed the man he had grown up with. When I will take Winterfell, I will mount his head on a pike. That's the only thing this boy deserves."

Asha's eyes would have thrown flames that Davos would have not been surprised. She glared at Stannis and Margaery lost her welcoming smile.

"I propose you something: give me my brother back. Safe. And I will give you everything I own."

Stannis snorts:

"And what can you offer me, woman?"

"Ships. And me."

She turns to Renly, and the look she gives him makes him swallow hard. Stannis notices the look but still claims for an explanation:

"You?"

Asha ignores him and, still staring at Renly, asks him:

"Is it true what I heard about Baratheons?"

"What have you heard, my Lady?" Renly asks, holding back a smile.

"That you're hung like stags", she grins.

Margaery chuckles, Stannis glares at the two women, Davos hides his smile looking down and Renly becomes as red as a beetroot.

"Yes, it is true", Margaery grins.

"Good. I offer you my services. My uncle has betrayed me, and has probably killed my father. I want to see him dead. The only thing I ask is to have the Iron Islands as mine, when you'll be on the Iron Throne. I don't care about this throne. I know I'm unable to win it alone. I am an Iron born, I'll always be. Life on the continent would not suit me."

Stannis rolls his eyes and spats:

"Renly is betrothed to Sansa Stark, and will be Lord of Storm's End when I will live in King's Landing."

"I can live on the Iron Islands. I don't mind. She is offering us a fleet", Renly protests. "What is Sansa offering us? Nothing. She could be dead. We need to talk about that, Stannis."

The King gives black looks at his brother: he accepts different opinions, but not to be denied in front of strangers. His authority had to be respected, even by his brother. Especially by his brother, indeed. He sent Asha away and she left without a word. As soon as she was out, Renly rushed on his brother:

"By the Seven, this woman's soul is fire!" he exclaims.

"Now, you like fire", Stannis ironically retorts.

"Stannis… She is a Greyjoy. She has ships. She is only two years younger than me… We need her."

The King shakes his head:

"I made a promise."

Renly exclaims with disdain:

"To whom? Robb Stark? He's dead. Catelyn Stark? She's dead."

"Still, it's a promise, and I intend to keep it. We need the Starks as much, if not more, as we need the Greyjoys."

Renly looks down and storms out of the room. Stannis sighs and turns to Margaery and Davos. They give him knowing looks and he just sighs:

"Speak."

Davos motions Margaery to talk first:

"You should let him marry her. This would be a strong sign, Stannis. The Starks, the Northerners are already at our side. I bet all of them think Sansa is dead."

Davos supported the Queen:

"The Martells have proposed that Sansa would marry Quentyn, Prince Doran's eldest son."

"Then the Martells would unite with both Starks and Baratheons. I want my blood to run in every family of this realm. I want to unite with the Starks!" Stannis shouted angrily.

"Your Grace, we need to think about the war. Not only the war against the Lannisters, but the war against the Dead. Honestly, the more men we have, the strongest we'll be. We'll think about weddings later. Maybe the people you want to unite to will be dead before the end of this war. Your brother likes this girl. They're the same age. What if Sansa refuses to marry Renly? What if she doesn't care about her brother's promise? Let him marry Lady Greyjoy. And let Sansa marry a boy of her age, and live far from the hell she has been living in since she arrived in King's Landing."

Stannis listens to Davos, carefully, feeling Margaery's hand stroking his arm. He nods at them when Davos stops talking and says:

"I will think about it."

Then he leaves the tent to give orders concerning Asha Greyjoy.


	19. Chapter 19

Stannis, his face closed and stern was checking on the harness of his horse. The animal turned its face at him, and stamped, impatient to leave. The King clucked his tongue to calm it down but, suddenly, all the other horses neighed, stamped. Some reared up and riders almost fell from them. Stannis looked at his soldiers: they were fit, ready to fight, and their excitement was spreading through their horses. His eyes stopped on Margaery, standing in front of the royal tent, holding Shireen's hand. He wondered how many times he will have to leave to a battle like that, to see her holding back her tears, to know she will be scared for his life, for their future. Stannis had never really loved battles: but he was a man, and the son of a Lord. He has learnt how to fight as soon as he could hold a wooden sword. Robert, however, was a real lover of battles. He loved to joust as well. What Stannis loved the most was the preparation of the battles. Spending hours on a map, thinking about all the possibilities, knowing how to prevent an enemy to retreat or to kill too many of his men, that was what Stannis loved the most. He was trying to teach Renly about his skills. His younger brother was a good student, if he could say. Stannis helped him to prepare the attack against the Twins: Renly was supposed to leave this day. While Stannis would attack Winterfell, Renly could safely leave to the Twins.

"Your Grace?"

Ser Davos's voice led him back to reality. The knight was looking at him, and nodded at Margaery and Shireen.

"It's time", he whispered.

Stannis nodded slightly and walked to his wife and child: Margaery tried to smile, but tears were filling her eyes. She would never get used to that. She wondered how Catelyn Stark had managed to make it when her husband was at war, thousands of miles away from her. Catelyn was probably the bravest woman she had ever known. Margaery wished she had more time to know about her, and she really wanted to know Sansa and Arya, to see if the daughters looked like their mothers, whether it was physically or mentally. She locked her eyes into Stannis's. So many things had occurred during their first marriage year. The bond between them took time to happen, but, now, she was sure of her feelings towards him: he was her husband and her king. She loved the two people in him, the man, and the protector of the realm. Margaery remembered how she had reacted when she had seen him for the first time; she cursed herself for that day, for having been so trivial and stupid. Spending a year with him, as his wife, as Shireen's stepmother, had grown her up. And now, she was watching him leaving for a battle that would be long, bloody, and deadly. Maybe even for him, despite all the protection he had. She knew it could be the last time she was seeing him, and she would never forget his face. His jaws clenched, fully determined, his whole face stern because he knew he was sending these men, these soldiers, to death. But, as he was looking at her, she saw something that belonged only to her. Stannis put his hands on Shireen's shoulders; she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. He closed his eyes and ran a hand in her hair. The little princess pulled away and watched her father embracing his wife. She looked away as he kissed her mouth, and noticed the soldiers were staring at them, most with a half-smile. Alongside Davos and Margaery, Stannis had softened up slightly. The soldiers just loved him more with this fact. He made their kiss last, and, when he turned around to his army, all the soldiers suddenly looked very focused on Winterfell's castle that materialized among the snow and the fog. Shireen couldn't help chuckling and she held Margaery's hand as they watched Stannis walking to his horse, adjusting his gloves. He gave them a last look before getting on his horse. Without a word, he spurred it and the procession followed him. Shireen did not take her eyes off her father until he had disappeared in the fog. Her heart was filled with a million different feelings but she was sure of one thing: her father would come back. She could not explain it, she just knew it. He was her pride, this protector of the realm. People always said the relationship between a father and his daughter was special. And, for them, it was true. She was praying, every night, that he and Margaery would have a son. She was only praying for boys. Shireen was not a nasty child, she was far from it, but she wouldn't want to share her father with another girl. She wanted to be all her life long his princess. When the last soldier had disappeared, she led Margaery inside the tent: they now had their own ritual during battles. Shireen would read, Margaery would sew, and when she would be too tired, Shireen would read stories to her, or she would read stories to the princess. Margaery felt like her mother now. She had learnt how to reprimand her, not that it happened often, the child was really sweet and obedient. The Queen and the princess still had moments where they would have fun, but she did not feel like a big sister anymore. Shireen had immediately accepted her as her new mother, a mother she truly loved. When her father had told her he had to get married again, she was scared. She knew most of the Lords's daughters would mock her for her face, or even her gentleness. But Margaery had been kind to her from the very beginning, and she was sure Stannis had appreciated that. Shireen had suffered enough. Margaery and the princess stayed in the tent and Shireen, feeling tired after a few hours, laid down on the bed, making Margaery promise her she would wake her up as soon as her father would come back.

Stannis made his army stop not far from Winterfell. The Northerners were impatient to attack the Boltons, but he knew Roose Bolton and his bastard were vicious. He expected something from them. Two nights before, already, they had tried to burn the camp and kill the horses. They had sent twenty men to do this. The following day, Stannis had sent their beheaded bodies back to Winterfell. He was not scared of them, but he would not make the mistake of underestimating them. They were preparing something. He could feel it. But he did not expect what was going to occur: Winterfell's door opened and thousands of riders stormed out. Stannis frowned: it did not look like Roose Bolton, this front attack. It was clearly stupid: Stannis had much more men, including archers. Davos got by his side, everybody was watching at the cavalry galloping to them.

"Bolton sent all his soldiers", Davos noticed.

"I see", Stannis replied.

He could not believe this was all: a cavalry charge and that was it. He heard the horses stamping behind him, and, as soon as the Bolton's men were close enough, he ordered the archers to fire their arrows. They hit many of men and the horses start neighing with fear, some deadly wounded by the arrows. Stannis repeated the order, again and again, before drawing his sword and spurring violently his horse. He heard his whole army following him and he charged his enemies. As he got closer and closer from them, the archers stopped fire; conscious they could hit their own army. The sound of the horse's neighs, their hooves pounding the snow, creating big cold white clouds, was deafening. Stannis sped up again, his sword pointed to the enemy. He could feel Davos by his side, and Matthos, his eldest son, by him as well. He could see the men's faces now, but he didn't recognize Roose or his bastard. Before he knew it, the horses crashed against each others in terrifying neighs. Stannis beheaded the first man he met, before being unhorsed by a man with a spear. He fell on his back, on the hard ground and, for a second, he was breathless. He groaned with pain and escaped narrowly the fall from a horse on his legs. The animal was skewered with a long spear and it was trying desperately to stand up. Stannis was attacked from everywhere, and he was blocking and attacking the soldiers back. He was still looking for one of the Boltons, or both, but he could not see them. With luck, they had been killed by an arrow. He saw Davos, by his son's side, defending himself pretty well. He would never be a great soldier, but he was brave and he had learnt fast. Stannis got closer from him, little by little: his arm was firm as he cut, skewered, beheaded men. Some prayed, some begged, but he did not listen. He killed, again, and again, and again, despite the yells, the cries, the smell of death, the pieces of bodies falling next to him, the blood spurting in his eyes and on his face. Adrenalin was rushing in his veins: he did not feel pain, or tiredness. He just felt the pleasure of killing his enemies off. Suddenly, he was thrown back. He did not understand what had happened, as he was not fighting against someone but he heard the yells and the soft sound of arrows piercing flesh. He yelled: "PULL BACK! PULL BACK!" before looking around him. With the excitation of the battle, his men had kept moving forward and they were now too close from the castle. Bolton had kept men inside and those men had fired arrows, touching most of Stannis's men. They obeyed his order, and the Bolton's men rushed on them. Stannis thought Roose would make his archers stop but no, they kept firing arrows and were soon hitting more of their men than of Stannis's. Stannis looked for his horse as the enemies were dying. He could not find it, so he grabbed the reins of another one, got on it, turned to his men and yelled "WINTERFELL IS OURS! FOLLOW ME!" The Northerners yelled back in approval, and Stannis galloped as fast as he could to the castle. Bolton's archers tried to stop them, but, even though hundreds died, they were too many for them. Stannis was seeing the castle getting closer and closer, as the strong legs of his horse was taking him to his goal. He kept spurring it, grabbed a spear as he saw a man trying to close the big door before their arrival. Bolton's men were running back in the castle. Stannis took the reins in one hand, aimed at the lonely soldier and threw the spear. He didn't hear it hitting the man, the horses were too noisy, but he saw him collapsing on the ground. He shouted with rage and excitation and, evading the arrows that fell on him and his army, he galloped in the castle. When he crossed the door, a terrific clamor raised from his ranks, and, on his horse, he slew every soldier he crossed at the pace of his name shouted by his army.

He was standing among the dead bodies the men were piling up to burn them later. Out of breath, he suddenly felt tired, really tired. The battle was over. The bastard had tried to fight but Stannis killed him easily. Few prisoners were made: they told Stannis Ramsay had killed his father, Roose, and that it was him who had organized the attack. Stannis was disappointed: he would have loved to kill Roose Bolton himself. Every person supporting the Boltons had been killed, and people crying in relief had come to thank Stannis's army for saving them. Two soldiers had been sent to tell the camp about the victory and to bring the Queen and the princess here. With a loud sigh, Stannis drove his sword in the snow. A snow tainted with red and black: blood and dirt.

"Your Grace?"

He turned, tired, to Davos. The old smuggler's eyes were filled with tears. Stannis looked at his son's body, piled up with the other Baratheon's soldiers.

"What?" he couldn't help snapping at him.

"You… You have an arrow… in your arm"

Stannis turned to what the smuggler was pointing at: he saw the arrow in his arm, and the blood running from it. He had not even realized, he had not felt the pain.

"Take it off", he ordered Davos, offering his arm.

Davos complied, his good hand grabbed the birth of the point and he took it off brutally. Stannis stifled a moan of pain and nodded at his future Hand. He laid a hand on his shoulder and said:

"Sorry for your son. He was a good lad. Loyal."

Davos looked at his king:

"I know, your Grace. Thank you."

And, for the first time since he had known Stannis Baratheon, he touched him: he laid his hand upon his own hand, still grabbing his shoulder, and squeezed it firmly.


	20. Chapter 20

As soon as she reaches Winterfell with Margaery and the royal escort, Asha Greyjoy is allowed to look for her brother. Stannis warns her he may have killed him, or that Theon may have already died. But Asha feels her brother is still alive. And she knows where to look for. Once she gets there, she directly walks to the kennel: the dogs bark fiercely when she comes in. Stannis is with her, and he shushes them quickly. Asha walks to the last cage: it is wide opened and, inside, she sees a scrawny old man, huddled up like a fetus in his mother's womb, swaying fast, his hands covering his ears. She kneels next to him and lays a hand on his shoulder. He startles so violently she gasps with surprise. She knows this scraggy wrinkly is no one else but Theon Greyjoy, her brother. She whispers his name: he shakes his head frenetically:

"Reek, reek" he moans.

Even his voice has changed, even his voice sounds like an old man's one. She gives him a sorry look: maybe he just needs some time.

"Lord Bolton… Where is Lord Bolton?" Theon asks, his eyes looking completely lost as he looks around to see if Ramsay is here.

"He's dead Theon. He's dead. He'll never hurt you again. It's over."

Asha tries to be as sweet as possible but she is not really used to it. Theon shakes his head again:

"Lord Bolton can't die. He faked his death. He already did it. He faked his death."

"Boy", Stannis intervenes, "Ramsay is dead. I killed him myself. He is dead, I swear it."

He then turns to Asha:

"Take him out of here and give him a bath. I need to talk to him."

Asha nods and stays with Theon as Stannis walks out.

A few days later, while Theon feels a bit better, he receives him in his room. He has not taken the Lord of Winterfell's room because he still hopes Jon Snow is going to change his mind. The young man comes in shaking like a leaf, but at least he looks better now. He wears clean clothes, he has taken a bath every day since Stannis has taken Winterfell, and he has eaten. Still, he is more Reek than Theon. Stannis glares at him: he has never really trusted the Greyjoys, and what Theon did to Robb was an awful treason. He can see the boy is traumatized, he has seen the marks on his body, but, still, he can't feel pity for him.

"Why have you killed the young Starks?" he directly asks. He has a lot of things to do and he doesn't want to lose time with fake gentleness. Theon shakes his head:

"I… I…"

He keeps shaking.

"Why did you kill them? They were just children."

"They… I…"

Theon swallows hard.

"Spit it out!" Stannis shouts, angrily.

"It was not Bran and Rickon!" Theon shouts too before breaking down.

Stannis blanches and, within three strides, grabs Theon's collar:

"What did you just say?"

Crying, Theon shakes his head again:

"Please, your Grace, please, don't hurt me. Reek… Reek is a good dog. Good dog. Anything… Anything you want…"

Stannis's grip gets tighter:

"You are not Reek. You are Theon Greyjoy, son of Balon Greyjoy. Eddard Stark has treated you like his own son, you rode at his son's side during the war. You have betrayed Robb Stark, who was like a brother to you, you have taken Winterfell and burnt Brandon and Rickon Stark."

"Not them… Not them… The miller's boys… The miller's boys…" Theon repeats.

Stannis lets him go brutally:

"The miller's boys?"

Theon nods:

"Bran and Rickon escaped… I couldn't find them… I… I needed to show I was… I was…"

Stannis takes a few steps backwards, while Theon keeps talking. But the King doesn't listen to him anymore. The young Starks are alive. That's the only thing he's thinking about for now. He turns to Theon:

"Do you wanna be forgiven?"

Theon looks up at him and swallows hard:

"Ye-yes."

"Find these children. Bring them back home. I will forgive you then."

"B-but… Y-your G-grace… T-they w-won't f-follow m-me", Theon stammers.

A slight smile roves on Stannis's lips:

"Oh, you're not going on your own."

Theon slightly frowns at the King's words but he sends him away and he leaves quickly.

Margaery wakes up in the morning and moans with satisfaction: she thought Winterfell would be freezing, but, indeed, she likes it here. Stannis had decided that they would stay here for a moment and she approves his decision. The battle took place weeks ago, Theon had left to find the Starks and she almost felt like home here. She missed Highgarden's sun and climate of course but the people working in the castle had prepared a beautiful room for them, with heavy wolves' furs to keep them warm. She yawns and opens her eyes: Stannis is turned on her side, looking at her. She smiles and whispers sleepily:

"Morning…"

Her husband smiles at her and strokes her hair: he has things to do today, but he would like to stay with her and spend the day in bed. She smiles back at him and runs a hand on his beard.

"You need to shave, love"

He tries to hold back his surprised look: she has never given him sweet names. She notices his look and feels herself blushing intently.

"Can I do it?" she asks, trying to create a diversion.

Stannis simply nods, still surprised and she quickly leaves the bed. The King puts his breeches back on and goes sit, shirtless, on a chair in the middle of the room. Margaery gets dressed and leaves, coming back with water, shaving brush and a razor. She walks behind him and plunges the brush in warm water, before applying it on his beard. Stannis closes his eyes with the contact, and opens them again to look at her. She puts her hair behind her shoulders so it doesn't bug her while she carefully put the razor against Stannis's throat. He loves how she looks concentrated, her tiny hands perfectly handling the blade. None of them is talking: the room's silence is only broken with the crackling of the flames in the chimney and the sound of the blade on Stannis's cheeks. He keeps staring at his young wife, feeling pretty excited by what she is doing. But it's not only lust he feels. He is happy to be with her, at this moment, at all the moments they spend together. Her gentleness, the way she treats Shireen, the way she treats him, everything she does is lovable. Everything she does is beautiful. He thinks about her all the time she shaves him. When she finally wipes his face with a warm towel, he grabs her hand gently and pulls her to him. She smiles and kisses him deeply before staring at his face:

"Much better", she whispers.

He smiles and his hand slip under her dress. She looks at him with a smile and undoes his breeches. They make love on the chair, and, when they're done, that Stannis leans against her perfect chest, he pants:

"When was last time you've bled?"

Margaery, panting too, shrugs:

"I don't know. You think… You think I could be with child again?"

"I've joined you every day since we left Castleblack. Every day", he insists.

She moves away to look at him and beams:

"I'm gonna meet Cressen as soon as possible."

"Good idea", he approves nodding.

She has a brief excited shout and he can't help chuckling. She cups his face and kisses him deeply, stroking his tongue with hers gently. She has stopped telling him she loved him, because she did not want to feel as disappointed as the first time. She understands, though, that he cannot say it, even though he feels it. Selyse and he probably never told each other, mostly because none of them felt it back then. But Margaery has stopped caring about it: she knows he loves her. She knows it by the way he acts, not the words he speaks. She kisses him one last time, and, overexcited, she puts her dress back on and storms out of the room to meet Maester Cressen.

Sit on his chair, Stannis dreamily stares at the door she has just closed. The sound of a horn brings him back to reality and he frowns before standing up. He walks to the window and his eyes widens with surprise.


	21. Chapter 21

« Open the gates ! »

Stannis hastily puts clothes on and goes downstairs, walks out of the castle and stops in his tracks when he sees who's riding ahead of him. On a tall black horse, Jon Snow, who looks both younger and older than he ever did. Next to him, Melisandre, with her arrogant half smile. And, a bit backwards, Brienne of Tarth, riding by a young girl looking terrified.

 _Sansa_. _She found her. She kept her promise and the Kingslayer too._

"Where is Arya?" Stannis asks.

Brienne shakes her head slowly:

"I never found her. I have no idea where she could be."

Stannis nodded slowly and turned to the young Stark.

"Lady Sansa. I'm glad you're safe", he said and the girl nodded. She looked lost, in her own home. He looked around:

"I am sorry that the castle doesn't look anymore like the one you used to know. My men are building him up again. But it will take time."

She slightly smiles and gets down from her horse. She bows in front of Stannis:

"Thank you for freeing Winterfell, your Grace."

He nods and orders his men to take her back inside and to give her anything she would ask for. Jon, without a word, follows Sansa. Stannis watches them leave and turns to Brienne:

"Tell me."

He doesn't even look at Melisandre. He and Brienne leave to the castle. They sit down around a glass of water and Brienne starts speaking:

"Lady Stark freed Jai… the Kingslayer in exchange with the promise he would help me getting the girls back. He would stay in King's Landing, and I would come back with them. He was, he was an awful companion and… he provoked me so we fought against each other. This is when the Boltons found us. They…"

She grabs her glass and drinks lengthily.

"They almost raped me, your Grace. Jaime Lannister saved me, and, for that, he lost his hand."

"Which one?" Stannis suddenly asked. Brienne glared at him and mumbled:

"The right one. Roose Bolton let us leave and we finally made it. Sansa was here. But not Arya. I swear it, your grace, I have looked for her everywhere. Everywhere. But I could not find her."

"Don't bother yourself, lady Brienne. You've found Sansa at least."

"Where is Renly? I mean, where is Lord Renly?" she asks.

"We had a visitor while you were away. Asha Greyjoy came to us, and said her brother was prisoner from the Boltons. We found him with the dogs in the kettle. I sent him find the young Starks."

Brienne frowns and looks at him. Stannis nods:

"Yes, they're alive. Theon had lied. Well, Asha has stayed here and Renly wants to marry her. But don't say anything to Sansa. Whether it's about her brothers, or Renly. I'll tell her myself."

Brienne nods in turn and Stannis stands up:

"Get some rest. Eat. Margaery will be happy to see you again, I guess."

"Your Grace? Do you know what happened to Jon Snow?"

Stannis frowns:

"What do you mean?"

Brienne downs her glass and stands up too:

"Your red woman… She brought him back."

She is saying that with both fear and admiration. Stannis pulls a face:

"Brought him back?"

"He has been stabbed by his men. Mutineers. Your Grace, the boy died. He died. Some of his supporters took him to his room and… And the red woman was here. And she brought him back. She resurrected him."

Stannis listens, all ears, dumbfounded. He knows Melisandre has powers, he has seen them. But… That is beyond understanding. He is about to reply when Margaery storms in the room: he looks at her, ready to hear her yell about Melisandre but, she rushes on him, hugs him tight, kisses him deeply and whispers:

"I am with child again."

He stares at her, hardly believing it, and he hugs her back slightly, whispering in her ear:

"I am so happy…"

They remain this way, closely embraced, for a moment before Margaery realizes Brienne is here.

"Oh, hello Lady Brienne", she bows.

"Your Grace", Brienne bows in turn. "Congratulations", she softly smiles.

"Thank you. I have to go tell Loras and Renly!" she says before rushing out of the room as fast as she stormed in. Stannis, without a word, walks out too.

He meets Jon Snow in the Winterfell's big hall, where the lord of Winterfell receives people. Stannis stops by his side and simply says:

"Brienne told me what happened."

Jon turns to him and smiles:

"I wanted to come get Winterfell back. Guess I was late. Thank you for that. I'll never forget", he says, holding his hand at Stannis. The king shakes it firmly:

"What about the Night's watch?" he asks.

"Our vows precise we belong to the Night's watch until we die. I died. I don't belong there anymore. I refuse to live among men who could kill me suddenly."

"What have you done with those who did that?" Stannis asks.

Jon loses his smile:

"I've hung them. Olly… Olly was among them. A boy I trusted as the old bear had trusted me."

Stannis plays with his tongue: he suddenly says:

"The Queen is pregnant."

Jon turns to him:

"Congratulations", he sincerely says. "I hope you'll have a boy."

"Thank you", Stannis nods. "You know, my offer is still available… I can still make you Jon Stark, lord of Winterfell."

Jon smiles, a smile both sad and weirdly relieved:

"I am not a Stark. But Sansa is."

"A woman? Ruling Winterfell?"

"Why not? My brothers are dead…" Jon argues but Stannis interrupts him:

"They're not. They've escaped. I sent Theon Greyjoy looking for them. With Ser Davos."

Jon's eyes turn dark with anger:

"Theon…"

"Yes. He was the Boltons's prisoner. He could have died, honestly. I told him to bring the children back, and that he would be forgiven, for what he had done to Robb. I gave my word, Jon Snow. I can't take it back. And… We need to talk about your sister…"

For a long moment, they talk together about Sansa's future. Of course, they will give her time to recover from what she has lived in King's Landing but time isn't on their side. The White Walkers are still a threat, for everybody in the realm. They agree they would talk to her when she'll feel better. When they leave the hall, they see Brienne chatting with Renly and meeting Asha. Stannis knows his brother will refuse to marry Sansa, now. He is really close from Asha. They pass by Melisandre and he ignores her still.

A few weeks later, Sansa, Jon and him have a long talk about her. She is not aware of Robb and Stannis's arrangement and, thus, doesn't mind the arrangement to be cancelled. Stannis proposes that she marries Quentyn Martell, Prince Doran's son. He argues that he's close from her age, and that it will be a strong alliance between the far North and the far South of Westeros. Jon argues she could eat as many lemon cakes as she wants there. Sansa, after a long hesitation, asks to meet him, and, if she likes him, that she would leave to Dorne only when Rickon and Bran will be safe in Winterfell. Stannis agrees and immediately sends a message to Dorne. Melisandre comes in the room when they're done and he asks them to leave so he could speak alone with her. When they're alone, she smiles:

"Have you missed me, my King?"

He ignores the question:

"I am asking you once, and only once: have you killed Margaery's child?"

She stares at him, smiles again, and walks closer to him: he takes a step backwards:

"Answer."

"Yes", she simply says. "I have seen in the flames that he would not survive. So I killed him."

"A lie", he groans.

He still has hoped Margaery has been out of her mind when she has accused Melisandre. But she was right. She was right.

"How?" Stannis asks, almost on the verge of tears. Margaery was with child again, and he could not risk this child's life. What would Melisandre invent to kill this one, and the one after, and the one after? The only way she would stop was that she becomes his Queen. But he does not want her as his Queen. He wants Margaery. As his Queen, as his wife, as the mother of his son.

"I made her drink a potion while she was sleeping."

He remembers the dream she still makes, and he stares at the red woman, gaping, while her smile is still locked on her lips.

"You have killed my son because… because your god told you he would die anyway…"

He is not asking her anything. He is stating a fact.

"Yes", she says again, getting closer. This time, he lets her do. He lets her bring her face close to his, he lets her lips brush his.

"Have faith in R'hllor", she whispers.

He holds back a sardonic laugh and grabs her scruff brutally. She gasps, he can read fear in her eyes but he suddenly presses his lips on hers. She gives her a sweet smile, smile that disappears when he hisses:

"I believe in no God."

Her eyes widen and he keeps her against him, staring at her eyes, until she collapses on the ground. Her beautiful eyes keep staring at him, her lips part and she tries to speak as her hands rise to take the dagger off her neck. Stannis stares at her while she dies, his hands covered in blood, his sparkling dagger sunk in Melisandre's throat.


	22. Chapter 22

They are riding since dawn and have only stopped to pee. Now, it's getting really dark, too dark to go on riding. The horses could fall and hurt themselves, and without horses, they are dead. Davos gets down first and looks at the sky.

"We've not ridden that much", the young boy who's with him mutters.

"No… Days shorten…" the old smuggler replies.

He doesn't remember since how long they've left: days, weeks, months? It was easy at first: they would meet people, they would ask about Bran and Rickon. Well, he would. Theon would never talk. He would look at a peasant and shake like a leaf with fear. It was also hard for him to remain on a horse all day long. Even Davos, who's not a rider at all, looked better on his mount. They have seen Lord Manderly, who told them Rickon was with a wildling on Skagos Island. Davos had hated this news. But he had no choice but to sail to this island, surrounded by rocks which could break his boat as easily as if it was made of twigs. But they made it, and now they are on this island looking for the lord of Winterfell. He turns to the young boy:

"Try to find something to eat."

They had run out of food a few days ago. But Theon was a good hunter. Davos takes care of the horses and lights a fire. Theon comes back after almost an hour, two rabbits in his mutilated hand. He turns away when Davos flays them.

The two men had difficulties getting along with each other: Davos was defiant about Turncloak, as many men nicknamed him. But living alongside the boy every day, having to wake him up from his nightmares because he was shrieking, seeing him trying hard to find them food, changed his mind. Theon barely spoke to him, however, with time, he was more and more open. Davos cooks the rabbits and mashes the meat the best he can. Theon comes back after he has a walk. He often does that, Davos doesn't really know why, and then he guesses the boy has spent too much time without people, surrounded by dogs and treated worse than one of them. Theon faintly smiles at him and sits by his side:

"T-thank you."

Davos smiles back and they eat silently. When they're done, Davos can't help staring at the flames, wondering how things are going in Winterfell and Castleblack. So close, and so far from his king at the same time. He can't help sighing:

"Y-you m-miss your w-wife, Ser?" Theon asks.

"I miss a good many things, boy", Davos smiles. "I miss my sons. My wife, and my king."

Theon nods a bit frenetically. He always looks very nervous, on the lookout, like a hunted animal.

"Wh-wha-what are th-their names?" he asks again.

"My wife is called Marya. She's tending my lands in Cape Wrath since all this has started. Sometimes, I wonder if we'll ever meet again… I have seven sons."

Davos's face suddenly darkens and his smile disappears:

"Six… Six indeed. Four of them are with the King. The two youngest are with my wife. I lost one of my sons, Matthos, at Winterfell's battle. Dale is my eldest son. Then there's Allard, Maric and Devan. All fight for Stannis. Marya is taking care of the two youngest, Stannis and Steffon."

Theon gives him a surprised look and Davos smiles again:

"Aye, I called my last sons those names. They mean a lot to me. I believe in no God. I believe in Stannis. He could have killed me when he discovered I was a smuggler. I saved his life, so he spared me. He just took that", he says, showing his mutilated hand. "And he knighted me, he gave me lands, a future for my sons. He is the best man I've ever known. Who's yours?" he asks Theon, staring at his eyes.

Theon looks down: he could lie and say "my father". But no, Balon Greyjoy is not the best man he has ever known. After a few seconds, he looks up at the Onion Knight:

"Ed-ddard S-stark."

Davos smiles slightly and nods slowly:

"I never knew him. But Stannis praises him. I think… I think the King does not believe Jon is his bastard. He always told me those were not Lord Stark's ways."

Theon tries to smile:

"J-jon looks a l-lot l-like him, t-though."

"You who have known him all your life or so, do you think he could have cheated on his wife?"

"Th-things were di-different. Th-they b-barely knew each other and th-there w-was the w-war so…"

"You know, I love my wife. I treat her well. I'm not proud of saying this but I've known other women, even when we were already married. But, again, I was a smuggler. As soon as my Lord made me a knight, I stopped doing this. I learnt how to act as a knight, but I never forgot where I came from, I never forgot who I truly was."

Theon looks at him:

"I-I un-understand why St-Stannis h-had t-trusted you. Y-you're an ho-honorable m-man, ser D-Davos."

"Thanks, boy."

"I-I'll n-never f-forget my-myself f-for wh-what I-I've done t-to R-Robb. I-I'll d-do a-anything t-to… A-anything", Theon stammers, his voice breaking and he looks down.

Davos nods in approval at him and stares at the stars, shining in the black sky. He knows how guilty the boy feels, he can see it every day. He really hopes he survives this war and forgives himself. The knight sighs, tired:

"We should try to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day again."

Theon nods too and lies down on his back:

"Goodnight, Ser Davos."

"Goodnight, Theon."

The cold wakes Davos up the following morning: but it's not the usual cold, biting and piercing. Now, cold brushes his skin first, making him shiver violently and suddenly presses against his throat. Davos opens his eyes, looks at Theon, fully awake and shaking like a leaf, as usual. The knight looks up and grins.


	23. Chapter 23

He stays sit on a chair for a while, looking at the priestess's dead body. He almost hoped, almost thought she would come back, in a way or the other. But, she stays still. When a servant comes in, she gasps with fear, but Stannis scowls at her and she runs out. Soldiers walk in after her: none of them look shocked nor sad nor mad. Melissandre was not loved among the soldiers. Most of them are like Stannis: non-believers. They just walk to the King and ask what they should do with the body.

"Burn her", Stannis orders, clenching his jaw.

"Your Grace, may I ask… what happened?" one of them asks.

Stannis, staring at the snow falling slowly on Winterfell, does not even turn to the man. He sips lemon water and explains:

"She admitted she killed my son."

The soldiers look at each other, bow and leave without a word, carrying Melissandre's body. Stannis doesn't get out watching her burn. Instead, he goes join Margaery, and tells her what he has done. She looks shocked at first, but then, when he tells her everything about what Melissandre had done, she breaks down crying in his arms and he comforts her, the best he can.

The following day, Renly and Loras come back from the Twins: all the Freys are dead, and they don't come back alone. The Tullys are with them: Edmure, but also Brynden. They bring with them 10,000 men. Renly has spared the female Freys, and tells Stannis, when they are alone, he will have to decide what he does with them.

They are reunited in the great room of Winterfell, men drinking beers, except for Stannis, as usual. He watches them talk but he feels tired, and weary. The joyful chatting gets more and more silent: everybody is staring at Stannis, and wait that he looks up at them.

"You look troubled", Renly says.

Stannis holds back a sigh and stands up from his chair, starts pacing up and down:

"Margaery is expecting a child. I cannot leave Winterfell without her. I cannot let her here alone. She cannot come with me. I cannot send her to Highgarden so she stays with her family. I cannot move. We need to move. We need to keep moving to King's Landing. We need to take this city."

Renly glances at Loras and Brienne. Nobody dare interrupts the King. He groans with frustration, and turns his back at them. For a second, he regrets Margaery is pregnant. Only for a second. Then he curses himself for having this thought. But, somehow, it's true. This pregnancy complicates things.

"I can go with her in Highgarden, with a strong escort", Renly says behind his back. Stannis, not even turning around, shakes his head:

"She already lost a child. The travel would last 4 months to go to Highgarden. I can't… It's too risky. But we're losing time and I don't like that."

"Stannis…"

The sound of Renly's voice makes him guess he has gotten closer from him:

"A son, Stannis, born from a real marriage, not an affair. A healthy son, from two of the greatest houses of this realm. Stannis, a son will only legitimate your claim a little more. The whole realm knows Joffrey is a bastard. Daenerys Targaryen has no child and…"

Renly hesitates and stops talking, glancing at Loras. This one nods at him. Stannis has turned to him, giving them inquiring looks:

"And?" he encourages them talking.

"On the road, we heard stories… People say she is cursed, that she'll never have children. Not alive, anyway. How can a woman pretend to be queen if she cannot have heirs?" ((NDA: literally the question I ask myself since all that hype about Daenerys…))

Stannis turns to Jon Snow:

"My sister will let you stay here as long as you want. That's not a problem. But… If you decide to go on marching on King's Landing, the people of Winterfell will take good care of the Queen and of the princess. I swear it. They owe you so much, it will be a great honor for them", the young boy replies. "And…" he says again after a hesitation. "If the White Walkers break the wall, we will need soldiers here. Lots of them."

Stannis nods:

"I intend to leave 20,000 men here when I'll march on King's Landing. But you are right, Renly. It is the best solution. Alright, we will stay here until Margaery delivers the baby."

"Do you know when will Davos be back? We cannot leave without him", Loras notices.

The King turns to the window: snow is still falling, more snow he has ever seen. He lets out a sigh again, but this time, the sigh denotes concern.

"I have no idea", he softly whispers.

Davos's laugh rings out in the silent plains. He cannot stop laughing, even with Theon's terrified looks towards him, even with the direwolf growling nastily at them. When he manages to calm down, his eyes tearful with joy and relief, he turns to the people standing in front of him:

"Hello boy".

Rickon Stark, his hand on Shaggydog's fur, ready to let the wolf kill these two men, stares at the oldest of them. He doesn't dare say anything. Osha doesn't look very happy, and is surprised by Davos's reaction. Her sword is still on his throat. The Knight moves his hand to his vest but Shaggydog groans even more and the cold steel presses his throat even more, making him bleed. Theon moans with fear and Davos raises his hands to calm everybody down.

"My name is Ser Davos Seaworth. I've been sent here to look for Rickon Stark and to bring him home safe. In my vest, there is a message from the King."

"Joffrey?" Osha despisingly says.

"The true King. Stannis Baratheon."

Osha glances at Rickon, then holds her hand at Davos. Slowly, not willing to anger the wolf more than he already is, he takes the paper out of his vest and hands it to her. She takes it and slowly reads, forming the words, just like Davos does. He can't help smiling:

"Who taught you how to read?" he asks.

She glares at him and he remains silent. Rickon stares at her: he is too young to read, but he looks impatient to know about this letter. Davos's eyes turn to him: he had not even recognized Theon, though his own sister has not recognized him either. He reminds him of Catelyn Stark even though he had not known her much: his bright eyes, his hair, long and unruly. The boy is young so young, it's already a miracle he had lived til now, after what happened to his family. If Davos reminds it well, Rickon is 4 now. He then turns to the direwolf: he has never seen one of them but he immediately knew what it was. Almost as large as a pony, Davos guesses he has not stopped growing up yet. His bright green eyes, beautiful, are staring at him, at the least of his movements. His fur, disheveled, is as black as Jon Snow's wolf's is white. He looks both scared and furious. After a moment, Osha gives the paper back to Davos:

"Maester Luwin", she mumbles.

Davos looks back at the young wildling:

"What?"

"Maester Luwin taught me how to read. I'm Osha. This is Rickon Stark, and Shaggydog."

As soon as she has said his name, the wolf calms down, his chops hide his teeth again and he starts trotting away. Davos stands up and shows Theon:

"This is Theon Greyjoy."

When she hears the name, Osha's eyes turn furious and she attacks Theon. Davos grabs her arm and Shaggydog comes back groaning louder than ever.

"No! No! I know what he has done, I know who he is but… Stannis promised to forgive him if we would find you. We found you. We're taking you back home. I understand you don't trust him, but trust me. Trust me."

Osha glares at him and looks down:

"You have a boat?"

"Aye. How do you think we got there?" the old smuggler asks, a smile roving on his lips.


	24. Chapter 24

_Just as a reminder, I have decided to slightly change the relationship between Stannis and Margaery. If you don't understand the change, I'm totally available in PM so I can explain you what I meant with this change. Still hope you'll enjoy! Some smut in that chapter. Just warning you. Please R &R!_

Snow has not stopped falling since a few days. Stannis, from the window of his room, watches, smiling, Sansa and Margaery who are having a snowball fight. Their youth strike him suddenly. He watches Shireen joining them; he listens to their laughs, ringing out in Winterfell. A few days ago, he has received a note from Davos. He has not told the Starks, but their brother has been found. One of them at least. He intends to tell them tonight, during dinner. With a slight sigh, he turns to the table, covered with a map and the armies of Westeros represented by wooden figurines. Even a child would realize how many men are with him, and how lonely are the Lannisters now. He sits on a chair and drinks in a cup: life is pretty good lately. Margaery's pregnancy is going alright, the Starks are almost reunited and the threat of Melisandre is gone. He remembers how she whispered in his ear that she'll never abandon him. And now… The door opens suddenly and Margaery rushes in laughing. Her cheeks are red with the cold and the fight, her hair is a mess, and a smile is locked on her face.

"I need a hot bath", she giggles.

Stannis smiles and takes her hands in his:

"You're frozen. You should not do that kind of things, it could be dangerous for the child."

"Relax…"

She grins wider and her hands go on his breeches, starts unlacing them.

"Margaery", he sighs, taking her hands off.

She kisses him, a short but very demanding kiss, playing with his lips.

"I want you", she whispers, taking her dress off. A single glance at her small baby bump makes him get as cold as ice. He walks away, lacing his breeches up. Stannis walks to the door but she blocks it. She has not even dressed up.

"You are gonna get a cold. Go have a bath", Stannis orders.

"Not before I have an explanation. Why did you spurn me?" she snaps.

"You are expecting a child. We should not have sex together. It is dangerous. I don't wanna lose my son."

"What about my needs?" Margaery asks again.

Stannis gives her a black look.

"Are your needs more important than your son's health?" he severely asks, and suddenly feels as if he was his father. How weird does it feel…

Margaery pouts like a little girl and, suddenly, her eyes light up:

"Foreplays? That won't hurt the baby in any ways!"

Stannis hardly holds back his smile and nods. Margaery jumps for joy, grabs his hand and leads him to the table.

"Now, every time you will discuss about war, you will think about me", she grins, lying naked on the table.

 _I always think about you._ He does not say it: it is still complicated for him to talk about his feelings, whether it's her or Shireen for example. But he loves them, he loves Margaery. He feels it, from his toes to his hair, every time he sees her, the belly pangs that knot his stomach, how he could spend hours listening to her or watching her sewing. Her sweetness, her love for him is more important to him than anything of what Selyse or Melisandre did was. Her arms wrap around his waist and he bends down to kiss her gently. Her skin is really cold, that worries him.

"Would you like a blanket?" he asks her but she shakes her head.

"I just want you", she replies grinning.

He holds back a flattered chuckle and grabs a chair to sit in front of her. But first, he kisses her neck gently, enjoying her scent, a mix between rose and fresh snow. His hands run on her body, grabbing her breasts, playing with her nipples. He sighs as he feel them hardening against his fingers. Margaery arches her back, sighing softly. Stannis slowly kisses his way down to her breasts, sucking gently on her nipples. Her eyes closed, she keeps moaning softly. He does that for a moment, but she soon begs for more and he sits on the chair, avoiding kissing or stroking her belly. She spreads her legs and he stares at her sex for a moment, one finger stroking it. He likes to see how her body reacts to his, to what he does to her. Margaery moves closer from him and he decides to get a move on. He gently blows on her sex, which makes her laugh. Laugh that turns into a loud moan when his tongue starts stroking her. She is so cold he feels like he is sucking ice. His tongue is so warm it warms her up immediately. She moans his name, starts stroking his hair following his pace. Still licking her, he unlaces his breeches and frees his hard shaft, starts jerking off. Margaery sighs softly: she doesn't know why but she doesn't feel anything, or so. Is it because of the pregnancy? Or is Stannis so awful? She can hear him stroking himself and she feels he's so selfish. He's gonna come, again, when she will remain frustrated and unsatisfied. Margaery tries to guide him, to lean on his head, but he doesn't seem to care and just keeps doing what he wants. She doesn't even try to fake ecstasy, she just lets him do, being honestly disgusted with the noises his tongue makes on her pussy. Margaery stares at the ceiling, her arms laying on the table. She just wants it to stop, to finish. She loves Stannis, with all her heart, but, that, is so disappointing, so frustrating. She feels tears in her eyes when she thinks she's going to live that til she dies. Desire for him is not enough, it has never been, it will never be. He moans a bit louder, still licking her and suddenly stops. There it is, he has come. Margaery stands up, gets down from the table and puts her frozen dress back on. She shivers violently. When she turns to Stannis, he has dressed up too:

"You really should have a hot bath. I will tell the servants to prepare one for you", he tells her.

She simply nods and walks to the door but he grabs her wrist to hold her back:

"You really don't feel any pleasure with me, right?"

She shakes her head:

"I feel pleasure. I just never… well you know."

"I should have told you I was terrible in bed", he says with an apologetic smile.

She stares at him, she wants to yell at him that he could be awesome if he was not so damn selfish but she just fakely smiles:

"It is fine. Do not bother yourself with this."

She slightly pecks his lips and leaves to her chamber, where she has a hot and pleasant bath. When her servants leave, she slips her hand between her thighs and strokes herself, still thinking about Stannis though. She is not even really mad at him, why would she? She knows how men are raised in her world, she knows few of them really care about their wives's sexual pleasure. Women are born to get pregnant and have children. Their pleasure does not count. Their pleasure is not useful to get pregnant. She comes quickly, a satisfying climax and she falls asleep. When she wakes up, the water is almost cold and she sighs before getting out of the bathtub. She watches herself in the mirror, strokes her belly, wondering how it is going to be in a few months. After all, sex is not that important. What is important is the little being growing up every day in her belly. The future of her house, the future of Stannis's house, the future of the realm. The future king.

The night after, Margaery and Stannis are laid in their bed, staring at the wall in front of them. Stannis's jaw is clenched; Margaery has her arms crossed on her chest. Leaning on the pillows, their bed is shaken by tremors. Stannis sighs loudly as they hear loud moans coming from the room next to them, Renly's room. He ends up turning around and violently punching the wall, shouting his brother's name. For a moment, the noises and the tremors stop. Margaery raises her eyebrows:

"Lucky her", she sighs.

Stannis scowls at her:

"What does that mean?"

She shrugs:

"Well, she looks like she enjoys it."

"Don't you?" Stannis asks again.

Margaery, not willing to cause a fuss, slightly shrugs her shoulders one more time. The King turns to her:

"I'm not into it. I've never been, you knew that."

She narrows her eyes:

"Though you look like you enjoy sleeping with me. A lot."

Stannis reddens and looks away: Margaery says again:

"So, basically, you can enjoy it but I cannot?"

"You are a woman", he states.

His wife gives him an incredulous look:

"And?"

He doesn't answer and she huffs:

"I should have married Renly", she grumbles.

"Renly will never be king", he snaps.

She snorts:

"At least he looks to know how to make love. You think women care about what you are? They care about WHO men are."

It's Stannis's turn to snort:

"You would have been so happy with Robert. He was a great lover, as I heard, and he would have treated you like scum. Though, he was always surrounded by women."

"I don't care about Robert. You are my husband, my King. You are someone honest, just and good. But you look like you don't care about me, about what I feel. You act like you don't care."

"What do you mean?" the king asks gentler.

Margaery slightly hesitates before saying:

"You are too fast. I never have time to climax. And you are really good, except that, I am sure that I would come if you could hold it back a little longer."

Stannis frowns slightly:

"And can't you come faster? Sex is a waste of time. I do it because I have to so I don't want to spend hours doing it. I'm not my brothers."

"But you enjoy yourself and I don't! So, from now on, you are going to think a little less about yourself, and a little more about me! Otherwise I will find a man who will know how to satisfy me!" Margaery shouts angrily.

"You love me. You are not going to cheat on me. And lower your voice. The whole castle does not need to hear you", Stannis calmly says.

"Why can't you make an effort?!" she whimpers.

"Margaery, stop it. Don't you think there are most important things occurring right now? The White walkers, the Lannisters, Daenerys Targaryen! I'm surrounded by enemies and all you think about is yourself!"

Margaery purses her lips and stands up from the bed. Stannis sighs:

"Where are you going now?"

"I need to be away from you", she says, her voice breaking with anger and sadness.

She leaves slamming the door behind her and immediately goes seek comfort in Sansa's room. The young Stark is not asleep; she has still difficulties to cope with everything that happened to her and to relax at home. She stands up when she sees Margaery coming in and gives her an inquiring look. Margaery just breaks down and hugs her tight. Sansa makes her sit on the bed and Margaery, sobbing, tells her about everything. The two young women have been like sisters since they have met: of course the Stark girl misses her real sister Arya but, as much as she hopes she's still alive, she knows she would never share her passions and her hobbies. Margaery loves the same things than her: horseriding, sewing, eating pastries, talking about boys… When she sees her so down, like now, it really breaks her heart. She lets her speak and tell about what happened with Stannis, Sansa listens to her, holding her hands in hers, smiling comfortingly. She always feels slightly embarrassed because, even though she had been married to the Imp, they never had sex together, and she does not really know what to answer to Margaery when she asks her why does Stannis act this way. She ends up suggesting that they try again, when the baby will be born and that they just stop talking about that waiting for Margaery to deliver. No need to cause fuss just for the pleasure.

"You need to calm down, and think about your baby first, because this is the most important thing", she calmly tells Margaery, still holding her hands. "Your husband loves you but it is true he is stubborn. Maybe he could talk about that with his brother… Men barely discuss these…problems."

Margaery nods sniffling:

"I am sorry to bother you in the middle of the night. You must be exhausted", she smiles slightly.

"Do not worry for me, your Grace", Sansa smiles back.

"Come on… Margaery. Not your Grace. You are my best friend, the sister I never had", Margaery whispers before getting white realizing what she just said. Sansa has a real sister; she should have never said that. She softly shakes her head and smiles at Sansa, frowning with the Queen's reactions.

"I am going to bed. Goodnight lady Sansa and thanks for listening to me."

Sansa nods smiling:

"I will always be there for you. I owe you so much. Goodnight."

Margaery stands up from the bed, walks to the door and gently smiles and waves at Sansa before closing the door behind her.


	25. Chapter 25

Stannis wakes up with a start and in a sweat. Alone in his room, he breathes hard, and reaches for his cup and water by his bed. His hands are shaking and he tries to calm down before pouring a glass and downing it. He eyes the door and feels the urge to see Margaery. Stannis leaves his warm bed, puts simple clothes on, grabs the candle which enlightens his room and opens the door. The cold in the corridors make him shiver violently and he quickly walks to Margaery's room. He slightly knocks but no one answers and he slowly opens: Margaery is in her bed, in the dark room. Silently, he joins her, after he put the candle on a table. When she feels someone getting in her bed, she turns to him. He strokes her cheek gently:

"Did I wake you up?" he whispers.

Margaery slowly shakes her head.

"I had a nightmare…" she sighs.

"Always the same?" Stannis asks, worried.

"Oh no", she ironically says. "There are improvements. Now, she is eating our baby, in front of me. But she does not touch me."

Stannis gives her a sorry look as she tries to get as close from him as she can: she should give birth soon now and she really has an imposing bump. She sighs and he whispers again:

"I have a nightmare too lately. I think it looks like yours. I am running in the forest, but I am not a man. I have you by my side, you don't really have a physical form but I know it is you. And… something is hunting us, and it kills you, and the baby. And I cannot do anything against that… Then I wake up."

Margaery stares at him while he's saying that:

"Stannis, are you sure she's dead?"

"I have burnt her body. I have dug my dagger in her throat. She is dead, I am sure. I think it is maybe my conscience."

"You were right to kill her. I did not like the influence she had on you. I never really understood why she was so important for you…"

Stannis sighed softly:

"She came to me when my life was meaningless. She told me she saw me in her flames and that I was Azor Ahai reborn… And, well, you know what happened next."

Margaery leans on her arm, looking at him:

"But how did you, a man who does not trust in any gods, believe her?"

"I never really believed her. I always was skeptical but… I cannot really explain, she was fascinating me…"

"I understand…" Margaery says before starting suddenly and grabbing Stannis's hand, putting it on her bump:

"The baby is kicking!"

Selyse had never done that and Stannis finds himself embarrassed and clumsy. But, when he feels the other kick, he very naturally strokes Margaery's bump, trying to feel more. He looks up at his wife, beaming as they both feel how lively their child is. It has always been one of Margaery's fears, after what happened to their first boy: to have another stillborn. But this one looks strong. He is always kicking her, likely to wake her up in the mornings, and she sometimes feels like he is turning around in her belly, which is quite disturbing. She stares back at her husband and whispers:

"Growing strong…"

He smiles and gently pecks her lips.

"We should try to sleep. Maybe we will not be bothered by our bad dreams if we stay together."

Margaery sighs:

"I hope so. I really need to sleep. I am exhausted."

Stannis wraps his arm around her and she turns around so he has more room. He lays his hand on her bump and falls asleep, a smile roving on his lips as his unborn child kicks him.

Davos's boat cannot enter in White Harbor, as a big boat is getting in its way. The Knight grumbles and curses the boat: he just wants to be in Winterfell as soon as possible, and White Harbour is almost 500 miles away, which means about a month of travel by horse to get there. At least he could send a message to Winterfell to warn the King he's coming back, his mission accomplished. Mumbling, he walks to the bow and shouts:

"Let us pass!"

"We have made a long way to travel here! Stay behind, old man!" the captain of the other boat yells back.

Davos groans and shouts again:

"Where do you come from?"

"Dorne. We are bringing a gift to the daughter of winter!"

Davos understands suddenly: Dorne. Quentyn. Sansa. He suddenly lowers the speed of the boat and he lets them pass before sailing right behind them. When he reaches the quay, he jumps off the boat, and helps Osha, Rickon and Theon to get off too. He immediately walks to the beautiful dornian boat. On the quay, a young boy, with brown hair and brown eyes, looks all around him while wrapping his coat tighter around his chest. Davos startles a bit: the boy is not really handsome and, although he is five years older than Sansa, she would look like she is the eldest one. The boy is pretty short, thickly built. His face is plain, his forehead high, his nose broad and his jaw squared. Davos walks to him, and bows:

"Ser Davos Seaworth, my Lord."

The boy turns to him, then to the boat, and, suddenly, from the height of the deck, another boy jumps and lands by Quentyn, who moans slightly:

"Trystane! Are you insane?"

The other boy, younger than Quentyn, laughs noisily.

"Prince Trystane", Davos greets him.

The youngest of Doran's children has not changed: his olive skin, straight black hair and his laughing eyes made him so different from his older brother. The old knight suddenly wonders if Sansa would be willing to marry Quentyn. She had already known an arranged marriage, and, even though Stannis has to allow marriages, he still hopes she would be happier with Quentyn than with the Imp. Though, she was betrothed to Joffrey first, and, as much as this boy was severely insane, he was handsome, no doubt about that.

"Who are you?" Quentyn asks, defiantly.

"I am Ser Davos Seaworth. I heard you were heading to Winterfell. Are you two alone?"

"Of course they are not!" a voice shouts from the deck.

Davos looks up and can't help smiling:

"Prince Oberyn. Glad to see you again."

"I am happy too, ser Davos", he says, joining the boys quickly. "Don't bother my nephews, right?"

He laughs: Oberyn was a bit weird the first time he has seen him, but he was nicer once he got to know him. And Oberyn shares with Stannis and Davos a huge hatred for the Lannisters. Davos had seen him training in Dorne: the man is really gifted with the spear and the sword. If half of the Dornian army fights like him, the Lannisters will regret not having them on their side. Oberyn walks away with Davos, explaining the boys and him will probably stay in Winterfell with them, because it would be too long to go back to Dorne and the war should happen soon now. Davos nods and tells him Stannis would be happy to see them. All the people get off the boat, one by one, and Oberyn introduces Davos to his mistress, Ellaria, an attractive woman, not really beautiful though, with black hair and tanned skin. Davos smiles at her and bows, before wondering how Margaery will react when she will see the man who crippled her brother. Thank Gods, Olenna Tyrell is not here. Margaery will probably have other things in mind, and even though she will not be nice to Oberyn, Davos bets the young man does not really care about it. All united against the Lannisters could be their new motto. With a stag's antlers running through a lion as a sigil. Davos chuckles silently as he imagines the words that could go with these banners. He suddenly notices the looks Oberyn, trystane, Quentyn and Ellaria are sending to the people waiting behind Davos.

"Who are those people?" he asks them, showing Davos's little group.

"It is a long story."

Davos gets closer from him and whispers:

"This is Rickon Stark, but I don't want anyone to know."

"RICKON!" a feminine voice yells and they all turn around.

A young beggar runs to the group. Davos stops her just before she reaches them:

"Leave me alone, old man!" she screams, trying to escape, but Davos holds her tight. She is vigourous and doesn't stop fighting back, trying to kick and to hit the Knight. She turns to Rickon, clearly terrified and who gets closer from Osha.

"Rickon! Rickon it's me! Arya!"

Davos turns to the boy, surprised. He doesn't look like he knows her but Shaggydog, the wolf, does not seem to be angry at the girl. He is sit quietly, and looks at her almost kindly. The knight frees her and she rushes on her brother, crying and sobbing. Rickon needs a moment to realize who she is and he starts crying too. They hug each other for a long time, and the Knight feels tears flooding his eyes as he imagines their happiness when they will realize they are home safe. Davos turns back to Oberyn, who shrugs smiling:

"Guess we are not hitting the road alone"

Stannis is pacing up and down in front of the room: Maester Cressen and Luwin are with Margaery. Renly stands by Asha, who looks honestly bored to be here. Davos has tried to calm him down but it is useless. Margaery's yells are ringing out in the castle and even the children, playing outside, can hear her. Suddenly, the door opens and Maester Cressen tells Stannis to come in: he does so and stops right in his tracks when he sees the blood, Margaery crying and in a sweat, her legs spread wide. She cries even more when she sees him, and holds her hand out at him: he joins her quickly, and grabs her hand firmly.

"Your Grace, you cannot stay for long", Cressen says.

"I will stay here until my son is born", the King retorts, scowling at him. "My wife needs me."

Margaery tries to smile at him but a contraction makes her yell again and the midwife tells her to start pushing. Stannis stares at her, keeps her hand in his, but does not really know what to say to her, how to comfort or encourage her. He puts a wet towel on her forehead so she does not get too hot and he lets her squeeze his hand so hard he thinks she is going to break it. Suddenly, the midwife tells her to stop pushing and a baby cry rings out in the room. Margaery starts crying with relief, cries which turns into disappointed ones when the midwife shows them the baby: it's a girl. Margaery, sobbing, turns to Stannis:

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."

"Shhh", is all he can reply for now.

He is cursed, he is definitely cursed. Is it because he killed Melisandre? Is it because he was unable to save Selyse from this fever? Is it because he has wanted to kill his brother? Is it because he wants to kill a young boy, sat on his throne?

"Your Grace… It is not over…"

Margaery stands up:

"What?"

"There is another one…." Maester Cressen goes white.

"How can it be? You have not seen it!" Stannis groans.

"I am sorry, your Grace", Cressen bows. "But the fact is here, the Queen needs to…"

He is interrupted by Margaery yelling again and, a few seconds later, cries double in the room. The midwife beams and shows us their little boy. Margaery cries twice as much, this time with happiness, and Stannis stares at all of them, dumbfounded but happy. He turns to Margaery, kisses her sweaty forehead, staring at her, and whispers:

"I love you."


	26. Chapter 26

Stannis stares at the little girl, facing him while he is sit at his desk, in his room in Winterfell. Arya stares back, not impressed at all by the King. She has lived too many things to be impressed by whomsoever now. She doesn't feel fear, or anguish.

He examines her: the little Stark came back with Davos, the Martells and Rickon Stark. She was starving and, as soon as she was fed and that she had a bath, she put on boys's clothes. If he didn't know they were sisters, he would never guess Sansa and her have the same parents. Sansa does her hair as Margaery, wears beautiful dresses she mostly sew herself. Arya loves boys's things: fighting, doing archery. One of the first things she has done when she was in Winterfell was training with Jon. Stannis had watched her: she was gifted. Very gifted. Swift and precise, she must have had a very good combat instructor. Shireen was watching her too, clearly admiring the little girl, which Stannis disapproved. Arya Stark, despite what she wanted, was the daughter of a Lord. And thus, she had duties.

Stannis clears his throat and she opens her mouth to talk but he interrupts her:

"I have talked with your brother. I intend to betroth you to the son of Garlan Tyrell…"

"What?" Arya does, pulling a face.

Stannis, not used to be interrupted, grinds his teeth. In the room, Jon and Margaery exchange a knowing look and bite their lips to not laugh.

"I don't want to marry!" the girl exclaims. "I want to fight!"

"You are the daughter of a Lord. You have duties and…"

"My father already told me that! That did not change my mind. You think you will change my mind?!" she shouts.

A simple look from Stannis makes her go quiet. He clenches his jaw and tries to remain calm. He knows the girl is peculiar, everybody told him about her, but he is her King and she has to obey him.

"I think you need to grow up, Lady Stark."

"I am no…" she starts but he shouts in turn:

"Yes, you are a Lady! You are the daughter of the governor in the North! Your brother Robb is dead! Your brother Jon is a bastard! Rickon will rule Winterfell when he will be old enough but he is too young for now! Grow up! You have to marry, as your sister has to. This is your duty, as it was mine to marry Lady Florent and, later, lady Tyrell. This is how families remain alive, and prosperous. With alliances. I think you are clever enough to understand that fact, right, Lady Stark?"

Arya stares at him, and she bites her bottom lip to stop it from trembling. She is not scared, not even angry, she is just disappointed. Terribly disappointed. He keeps staring at her, and she stares back, though feeling tears filling her eyes. Deep down, she knows he is right. She knows she has to marry, have children who could have her parents's names. But, still, she feels she has a right to be happy too. If only she could choose her husband, at least… That's why, suddenly, she has an idea. She slightly bows and says:

"As you command, your Grace. But, I wish I choose my husband."

Stannis raises an eyebrow:

"Do you have someone in mind?"

Arya holds back a triumphant smile:

"Gendry."

Stannis turns to Jon, who slightly shrugs, indicating he does not know who she is talking about:

"Gendry Baratheon", Arya says again and everybody looks up at her, surprised.

The King has understood, though, and sighs:

"One of Robert's bastards."

Arya nods:

"I heard you have already seen him. It will be him. Or no one."

"You cannot marry a bastard."

The young girl shrugs:

"Then make it official he is your brother's son."

Stannis grinds his teeth again:

"And where is this boy?"

"Last time I saw him, he was with the Brotherhood without Banners. He was their blacksmith."

"Ned Stark's daughter marrying a blacksmith…" Stannis shakes his head.

"No Lord could handle me, your Grace"

He stares at her intently, before a slight smile roves on his lips:

"No. I guess no one can."

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Stannis walks in the children's room: it is dark, and everybody is asleep. Except him. He just left his room, where he has written the official recognition of Gendry as a Baratheon. It was hard for him to accept it but, somehow, his aim is fulfilled: his blood will marry a Stark. All the families are building alliances with each others. When he will sit on the Iron Thrones, there will be peace, everywhere in the realm. One thing he still does not know is what he will do with Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella. The children have nothing to do with their parents's sins, they are just children. Well, he has time to think about it, he thinks. He opens the door of the room, walks in silently, and stops by the two cradles. The twins are in the same one, the other one empty. Stannis shakes his head softly: Margaery did that. She keeps saying they sleep better when they are together. Margaery has immediately wanted to breastfeed them, she refuses that they have a wet nurse. Oberyn has told Stannis she reminded him of his sister, Elia. He smiles at the souvenir, staring at his children, fast asleep, wondering if the Lannisters were like that when they were babies. What could possibly happen to those children so they do such a monstrous thing? He shivers at the thought his children could become like them and suddenly resolves himself to never let them become too close, shall he send them away from each others. He wonders how Tywin never saw anything, him who was such a clever and smart man. He will never be like that, he promises himself. Lost in thoughts, he needs a moment to realize one of the twins has woken up and is staring at him with bright brown eyes. He tries to smile but he feels it looks more like a wince. The baby holds his little hand at him and Stannis clumsily takes him in his arms. Immediately, the baby looks for milk, rummaging his nose against Stannis's chest, and starts whimpering when he realizes it's not his mother. Careful with not waking Ryanne up, Stannis walks out of the room, holding the boy. Trying to calm him down, he whispers:

"I take you to your mother, Davos."


	27. Chapter 27

« 100,000 ?! »

Petyr Baelish can't help smirking as he watches Cersei Lannister pacing up and down, a cup of wine in her hand, and her brother, Jaime, standing up and staring at him, dumbfounded.

"It is impossible", he groans.

Petyr looks at him, and, with indolence, sipping wine from his own cup, asks:

"How could it be impossible? Stannis has the Greyjoys, the Starks and all the men of the North, the Tyrells, the Martells. What did you think, Ser Jaime?"

Jaime ignores him and turns to Cersei, but Petyr says again:

"One more thing: Daenerys Targaryen will soon be in Westeros. She has a great army too: unsullied, Dothrakis, the Greyjoys, Ser Barristan..."

"We can think Joffrey for that", Jaime sighs and Cersei scowls at him.

"Have you lost your mind, Lord Baelish? You just told us the Greyjoys were with Stannis", she says, sitting down facing Petyr, and she downs her cup of wine. It is the tenth, Petyr thinks as she asks for more.

"Asha Greyjoy has joined him. She wants to rule the Iron Islands. But her uncles have joined Daenerys because they want the Iron Islands as well."

Jaime slightly pales and turns to Petyr:

"And how many men does the Targaryen have?"

Cersei gives him a suspicious look:

"How do you know all that, Littlefinger?"

"I am here to serve you, your Grace. According to my sources, Daenerys has 40,000 Dothrakis and 10,000 Unsullied. As for the Greyjoys, I do not know how many of them there are. And you must not forget the dragons. They are as big as adults now."

Jaime looks down, then stares at her sister, while this one keeps looking at Littlefinger.

"What do you want from us?" she says, motioning Jaime to shut it.

"I offer you the soldiers of the Vale. 50,000 men", Petyr says with a smile.

"50,000 men will not be enough to fight both Stannis and Daenerys!" Jaime exclaims.

"What do you want from us?" Cersei asks again, insisting and bending over him.

Petyr plays with his tongue, staring at her, and ends up saying:

"I want Sansa Stark."

Jaime looks up suddenly:

"What do you mean?"

"You make our marriage official and I will give you my soldiers to win this war and destroy Stannis and Daenerys."

"This is nonsense", Jaime starts.

"Alright", Cersei interrupts him.

Petyr holds back a triumphant smile and stands up:

"Let me join the Vale, prepare the soldiers and we will leave to King's Landing as soon as possible", he says, holding his hand at Cersei.

"Do not be late", she says, not shaking his hand, and turning her back at him. "Now, get out."

Baelish leaves with a bow and Jaime, when they are alone, turns to his sister:

"What are you doing? No one can trust this man."

"I do not trust him. I am playing with him, just as he is playing with us. Well, as he thinks he is playing with us. I will take these soldiers. And when we will destroy these two pieces of shit, I will never agree to give him the Stark girl. I will kill her in front of him, slowly. I will kill all of the ones who are fighting us, for treason. Our son will remain on the throne. I will kill all of them, Starks, Greyjoys, Baratheons, Targaryens, Martells, Tyrells. The Lannisters will be the only one who will remain. The only ones worthy of the throne."

Jaime shakes his head as he hears her talk:

"You are insane. We will never win. Even with Baelish's men, we will never win."

She gives him a black look and stands up:

"Where are your balls, Jaime? Did you lose them as you lost your hand? We are Lannisters! We are the richest, the more powerful house of the realm! They all fear us!"

Her brother stares at her, at her beautiful eyes, the same than his.

"No they don't", he calmly retorts. "We are not feared anymore. We are not powerful anymore. We have lost our allies, thanks to you and the little brat you call our son. We lost Barristan Selmy, we lost the Tyrells, we could have made peace with the Starks but you let him kill Ned Stark. You pretend you care about our family, but you are destroying it. You, and no one else."

Cersei snorts and slaps him:

"I told you to go to Riverrun and to take that castle back. You have lost it."

"We were not enough to fight against Renly", Jaime retorts, wiping away the blood from his lip.

"Then give a sword to every man and child old enough to have one."

He stares at her again:

"Do you want children to fight for us? Or old men, barely standing on their legs?"

"Exactly. And if they must all perish, then let them die. I would rather rule an empty realm than no realm at all."

Jaime looks at her, and cannot come down to realize it's his sister who is talking this way. Power and sorrow have driven her insane. It will be like the Mad King. She will become the Mad Queen. That is why she never agreed on a marriage for Joffrey. She does not want to let him rule. She wants to be the ruler, she wants to be the Queen. At any cost. He raises his only hand to stroke her hair, her smooth and perfect blonde locks but she moves away with a brutal head's movement. He sighs deeply and walks out of her room. Sometimes, he regrets being back here. He misses Brienne, somehow. He has never been truly himself than when he was with her. But now, Brienne has become his enemy: she is fighting with Renly, with Stannis. Throughout the whole realm, everyone talked about Stannis's attack on the Wildlings, the attack that saved the Night's Watch. People had never liked him; he was too cold, too rigid, and too stern. People loved Renly, sweet and smiling. Time was passing by, and they all are realizing that Stannis would make a great king. Jaime snorts out loud as he is watching the sleeping city, standing on one of the wall of the Red Dungeon. Even he thinks Stannis will be the best king for the realm. But he has to remain faithful to his king, and to Cersei. With their father dead, with Tyrion gone, he is the only one left for her.

But, by all the Gods, he would exchange his life with a peasant's one, right now.


	28. Chapter 28

_Hi guys !_

 _I would like to thank Marvelmyra for all the reviews, that's super nice ! Thanks for correcting me, English is not my first language and I appreciate all reviews. To answer some of your questions, yes, Arya did go to Braavos in my story. As for Sansa, she indeed did not marry ramsay in my storyline, but I imagined Joffrey making her live a hell in King's Landing (none of Cersei's children is dead in my storyline). I know she would not leave Winterfell but, well, she has duties, and Rickon is alive so he is the rightful heir of Winterfell. It may sound cruel, but Bran, as a cripple, would never find someone to marry him, in this world. Well, that's what I think anyways. Now, new chapter, hope you all enjoy and don't hesitate leaving reviews!_

« 100,000 men, you say ? »

Baelish is watching the young queen, standing in front of him, calm and quiet. She narrows her eyes as she looks back at him. From the moment he stepped in Mereen, he has immediately felt she did not like him. She had every reason too, he had admitted. When he was in King's Landing, he was one of those who wanted to see her dead, who had sent Mormont spy on her. He has immediately noticed he was not at the court. Baelish did not really mind: he was probably dead. He would not risk asking where he was: it was risky enough to be here, with Daenerys Targaryen, when he had promised to ally with the Lannisters. But Baelish needed those two armies to get what he wanted. He was thinking about Sansa all the time. He wondered what she looked like now. Probably like a woman, and not like a little girl. _She should look like Cat even more_ , he thought. He swallowed hard at this thought.

"Yes, Ser Barristan", he answered the old man, staring speechless at him. "100,000 men. And don't forget the Lannisters. They will defend their throne fiercely."

"This is not their thrones, Lord Baelish. It is mine", the young Queen retorts.

He observes her: she is beautiful, and looks like a real Queen. But there is something about her, he does not know if it is what she has been through or something else, which makes her look way older than she really is. He nods slightly and she half smiles, though asking:

"So, you propose me an alliance?"

"Indeed", he nods again and slightly bows. "The soldiers of the Vale are some of the best soldiers in Westeros."

"I already have the best soldiers. Unsullied are better than any Westeros's soldier", she retorts.

"We join you and Stannis will be outnumbered. It is always better to have more soldiers than the opposite side", Baelish argues.

"Indeed", the Queen agrees, walking to him. He stares at her, at her purple eyes, so characteristic of the Targaryens. She stands in front of him, and whispers, as if she did not want Ser Barristan to hear her:

"I do not trust you, Lord Baelish. I know I need your men, but I do not trust you. Betray me, and I will give you to my dragons."

She stares again at him, her look clearly asking him if he had understood the warning. He nods slightly and she clears her throat:

"And what do you want? I may not have been raised in Westeros, but I understand how wars work. You do not offer us an army freely."

Baelish slightly smiles:

"I wish to marry Sansa Stark", he says.

Barristan and Daenerys look surprised:

"She is very young, isn't she?" the queen asks Barristan.

"Yes, your Grace", he nods approving. "Very young", he emphasizes.

Baelish holds back a snort: who is he to judge him? He would treat Sansa better than any other man in Westeros and Essos. He would love her better. Though, he remains calm as ever:

"I know she is. But I know I can make her happy. Lady Tyrell is also very young and she is married to a man who is more than the double of her age."

Daenerys stares at him for a moment and turns her back at him suddenly:

"Leave. We will let you know our answer."

"Your Grace, I would rather wait here. I do not mind waiting", Petyr insists.

"I ordered you to leave", she insists.

He obeys, furious. He does not like to wait, he wants an answer now. But he cannot show them how hurry he is, how impatient he is that this war ends. None of the ones he pretends to serve know about his real intentions.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In Winterfell, Stannis and the war counsel are getting ready for the battles. The king has thought about a new type of weapon, a chariot with very thin blades fixed on the wheels of the chariot. Hence, if someone is too close, he will be cut by the blades. The King intends to use it to injure the most soldiers possible during the charge. They all think it is a very good, though cruel, idea. But Stannis does not care how many men he will have to kill. And knowing they fight for the Lannisters, he could not care less. He also talks to Margaery and they both agree that, when they will be ready to leave Winterfell, she will go back to Highgarden. She hardly holds back her tears; she does not want to leave her husband, especially before a battle where he could die. But, deep inside, she knows it is the best solution. She will be safe in Highgarden, and, if the battle turns out bad, she could still find a way to leave Westeros with their children.

They need a lot of time to get ready, several weeks. They prepare siege machines, the famous chariots and they train the men. They had news from Dorne, and decide of the moment they will leave to arrive at the same time than Prince Doran's fleet at King's Landing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hodor!"

The large and tall man, holding a young boy on his back, turns to him with a grin. But the boy is asleep. He turns to the direwolf trotting by their side, and the two young people, a boy and a girl, who smile at him. Hidden by the trees, they stare at the walls standing in front of them, maybe a mile or two away. Hodor frowns watching the banners: there are the Stark ones, of course, but other ones he has never seen. Summer looks impatient and suddenly rushes running to the castle. Hodor yelps with surprise and fear and runs after him "Hodor! Hodor!" The wolf doesn't listen and runs as fast as he can to the castle. Halfway through it, he stops, sits on the snow and howls.

Everybody stops eating when they hear the howl: there are many wolves in the forest around Winterfell, they know that, but this howl stands out in a crowd. Shaggydog and Ghost rush on the door and scratch it violently. Arya and Jon exchange a look and rush out, followed by the wolves. In the castle, looking by the window, Stannis watches the scene, his jaw clenched as always. The kids yell with joy, the wolves shout too, biting each other gently. He feels Margaery's hands around his waist and her lips kiss his shoulder through his clothes. He wonders why he does not feel anything as he keeps watching the Starks being reunited at least.

"You did this…" the warm and sweet voice of his wife whispers in his ear. Still, he does not feel joy, or relief, or anything. He gently squeezes her hands and walks away.

"I am not staying."

Arya, Sansa and Jon gets pale when Bran tells them. Rickon starts to cry. Brandon gives him a sorry look and the youngest Stark goes and hugs him.

"Your place is here, Bran", Jon says.

Bran slightly smiles and shakes his head:

"My place is not here anymore. But before I leave I have to tell you two things. First, I remember what happened to me…"

The children get closer from their brother:

"It was the queen's brother."

"Jaime Lannister", groans Jon.

"He pushed me from the tower because… because I saw him and…his sister… They were…" Bran stops and blushes intently.

"We know what they were doing", Arya mumbles.

Bran gives her a surprised look:

"The rumour had always spread that those two were more insane than what we thought. Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen are not Robert's children. They're the Kingslayer's", Sansa explains.

Bran nods and Jon smiles at him:

"What is the second thing?"

Bran locks his eyes in his brother's ones and slowly says:

"I… I have visions. It would be too complicated to explain…"

He glances at Jojen Reed who nods slightly.

"I can sort of travel in the past. I cannot change what happened, but I can see things… I have seen you, Jon. I have seen you when you were a baby, when you were born…"

Jon's face both pales and enlightens with hope:

"You have seen my mother?"

Bran nods slowly, a serious look on his face.

"What is it?" Sansa asks.

"Father lied to us", Bran says again.

"What do you mean?" Arya asks, frowning.

Bran turns to her:

"Jon is not a Stark. Not really."

Jon stands up slowly, paler than ever:

"I don't understand…"

"Father was not your father. You are born from Lyanna Stark. You are our cousin."

The words ring in Jon's ears but he does not react. He stares at his family, the only family he's left with, and feels like he is going to break down crying. He's been lied to. His whole life. Arya stands up too and hugs him tight:

"You'll always be my brother, Jon"

He hugs her back and closes her eyes.

"Have you seen my father?" he though asks.

Bran shakes his head:

"I know who he is: Rhaegar Targaryen."

They all turn to Jon with big eyes while Bran explains:

"You all know what happened between Lyanna and Rhaegar. That it led to the war between Robert and him. Well, Lyanna had a baby with Rhaegar. So, somehow, you are a Stark, Jon. But also a Targaryen."

They all remain speechless until Sansa sighs loudly:

"How is Stannis gonna react to that?..."

"React to what?"

They swiftly turn to the door: Stannis is here, Davos standing behind him, and he stares at each and every one of them.


	29. Chapter 29

The Starks stare at him, but no one dare talking. The King grinds his teeth:

"Speak", he commands.

Jon looks down, and Bran, looking back at Stannis, tells him:

"I was telling Jon about his parents. His _real_ parents…"

"And?" Stannis asks.

Bran opens his mouth to reply, but Jon interrupts him:

"Nothing new, your Grace. I still am a bastard."

Arya looks offended and shouts:

"He's not anyone's bastard! He is Rhaegar Targaryen's son! He could be King if he wanted to!"

"Arya, silence", Jon hisses.

He looks back at Stannis, who is staring at him speechless. Davos is dumbfounded. They have never thought about that possibility. Stannis never truly believed Ned Stark could have cheated on Catelyn. He actually never understood how Robert and he could be friends, as they were so different from each other on many aspects. But, with Jon being Rhaegar's son, things were turning in a complete different way. Stannis did not need the children to tell him who Jon's mother was. How will the Martells react to that news? Lyanna Stark was the one who destroyed their sister's marriage. Unable to say whatsoever for now, Stannis turns on his heels and walks away.

Jon immediately follows him but Davos stops him:

"Leave him alone. You better wait before talking to him."

Jon turns his uncle-looking eyes to the old smuggler:

"Stannis has saved my life. I will never forget that. I do not want to be King. I am not going to betray him for a woman who may share my name, but nothing else with me."

"Jon!" Arya shouts again. She walks to them and stares at her cousin:

"You could be King. You would be a great King"

"This would be treason. And I'm not a traitor. I already betrayed the Night's watch. Not anymore. Please", he turns again to Davos, "tell the King I will always support him."

Davos nods and tries to give him a comforting smile but, deep inside, he knows Stannis is probably furious and very worried about what is going to happen next. Just as he walks away to join the King, even though he doubts he will agree to talk to him, he hears the guards ordering to open the gate. Curious, he joins Stannis outside. His jaw clenched, the King looks dark and moody. The gates open and Davos gasps with surprise. A young boy is walking in shyly, alongside with Loras and Brienne. A simple glance on him and Stannis remembers: he remembers going to the blacksmith and staring at his apprentice, his dark hair, his eyes, and his strength. He was Robert's, no doubt about that. Jon Arryn had realized it too, immediately. He should have killed him, Stannis thought. He was reluctant giving this bastard the name of Baratheon and marrying him to a Lady, but he did not have a choice, really. The Starks were important for him, and, with Arya marrying a Baratheon, Jon would be less willing to betray him. The children have heard the cries of the guard and join the King and Davos soon. Arya first smiles but then pulls a face when she sees who is with Gendry. She recognizes the man. Anyone would. He looks at her too, then at Sansa, pale as death, and a sneering laugh escapes his mouth.

"What is he doing here?" Arya mumbles.

"How would I know, Lady Stark?" Stannis retorts quite coldly.

The little group stop in front of the King and they all bow. He ignores them and grabs Gendry's chin, makes him look up at him, and stares at his eyes. The boy holds his gaze, does not look down.

"Take him inside and give him a room", the King orders after some seconds. Loras nods and takes Gendry with him. They are followed by Arya, who looks one last time at Stannis.

He turns to the man, and walks to him:

"Why did you bring him here, Brienne?"

"Your Grace, he was with the Brotherhood. When I told Gendry why we were here, he said he wanted to fight with us. He is a great warrior; I thought he could be useful to you."

Stannis slightly nods at her.

"You were serving Joffrey. Now you want to serve me. Why?"

"I want to kill my brother. My brother fights for the Lannisters, so I fight for the Lannisters's enemy."

Stannis pulls a face, but says:

"Very well. What happened between you and the Stark ladies?"

"Ladies? One is a Lady for sure, the other one is a wild animal. Nothing happened. I saved their lives, more times than they would admit it", he growls, staring at Sansa who looks down.

"Lady Stark?" Stannis questions her.

"Ser Clegane is right, your Grace. He saved my life and protected my…honor."

Stannis turns to Brienne and asks her to take Clegane inside and to give him something to eat. As he walks by Sansa, the Hound tells her:

"I am no Ser"

She looks down again and he leaves with Brienne.

In the afternoon, Stannis walks around with Davos, Renly, Loras and Brienne to look at the siege machines, checking on them, questioning the soldiers on their health. He cannot wait to leave Winterfell for King's Landing. He cannot wait for this war to be over. The soldiers greet him and he nods at them. They end up meeting in the King's room, to talk about the war to come and the last ideas they have on how to win this battle. After an hour, Jon knocks on the door. Davos opens and, when he sees who it is, Stannis tells everybody to leave. Jon swallows hard and looks at him, sit on his chair. The King looks back, differently than before he knew about his parents. They remain silent for long minutes, and Stannis breaks the silence:

"I will write an official decree to make Gendry a Baratheon. Your sister, or cousin, is very persuasive."

"She is, your Grace", Jon nods.

He feels suddenly sad that he cannot call Arya "sister" anymore, or that Robb has never been his brother. But what upsets him the most, is that he is not Ned Stark's son. He has always been proud of that, even if he knew Catelyn hated him, even if he knew he would never be Lord of Winterfell. During the day, he has walked down in the crypt, to look at the statue representing his mother. He would have loved to know what she looked like. Bran had told him about her, but it was not the same. Now he knew her name, he missed her more than ever.

Stannis purses his lips before saying:

"Lord Snow… Now is the time you have to choose between me and her."

Jon knew who he was talking about. _My aunt_ , he thought.

"I know this news have probably upset your world, everything you believed in. I am not a cruel man, Jon Snow. If you want to leave and join her, so be it. But on the battlefield, I will kill you. If you want to stay, if you still want to fight for us, know that I will show no mercy to Daenerys Targaryen. As for Gendry, I will give you the name of Jon Targaryen, and you will rule Dragonstone, have a wife. Lyanna Mormont, why not? She is still young, I know, but you are too. Well, you have time to think about that. But I need an answer now."

Jon stares at him, and kneels in front of him.

"This is too much honor, your Grace. I remain loyal to you. I know who saved me from the Free Folks, who saved my sister. It was not Daenerys Targaryen."

"Stand up, boy. This is not too much for you. You are a Targaryen, you deserve to have what will belong to you. You can leave. I heard what I wanted to hear", Stannis replies, still sit on his chair.

Jon bows and leaves the room. He closes the door behind him, leans on it and a relieved sigh escapes his lips.


	30. Chapter 30

_Hi guys! Some smut in this chapter. Please R &R!_

He gets in the hot water with a satisfied sigh, enjoying how heat spreads throughout his body. He closes his eyes and leans against the bathtub. Tomorrow, they leave for the war. The men are ready, the counsel and him have thought about everything they needed to take King's Landing, and the realm. He cannot lose this battle. He cannot lose this war. He is the rightful heir; he has a son now, a young wife, a greatest army than his enemies. And though, he still has doubts. He does not know why, but his mind is foggy with everything that could happen. He could die at the battle, his children could die, Margaery could die… He sighs loudly and rubs his face with the palm of his hands. When he opens his eyes again, Margaery is here, smiling at him. He has not even heard her coming in. The door is closed and she walks to the bathtub, undoing the laces of her dress. Stannis swallows hard staring at her, his eyes wandering on her bare body: they have not been together since the babies are born: Margaery was too tired and Stannis too busy organizing the battle. Smile seems locked on her lips as she gets in elegantly. She straddles her husband and he strokes her back, still staring at her. Margaery sits up slightly, exposing her round and big breasts, filled with milk. Pregnancy has only turned her into more beautiful, more mature. Stannis's hands run from her back to her breasts, squeezing her hips, and his palms wrap her boobs entirely. Her lips let escape a sigh of pleasure and Stannis sits up, draws the line separating her breasts with the tip of his tongue, before taking her nipples in his mouth and sucking them. He closes his eyes when he feels her hand sliding under water and grabbing his cock, rubbing it gently. He still feels ashamed to be hard in front of her, he does not really know why. Maybe it's because he feels vulnerable then. He feels her hands guiding him in her and he gasps slightly. She is as tight as the first time he had been with her. But she's not shy anymore. She takes his lips in a passionate kiss, and immediately wriggles fast around him. "I've missed you, I've missed you", she moans. Stannis nods, pulling her close and kissing her back as his own way to tell her he missed her too. His hands on her hips, he moves with her, gently, softly, willing to make this night a special one. She wraps her hands around his neck, intertwines her fingers together and kisses him lengthily. He kisses back and, when they need air, they move away from each other and Margaery throws her head backwards, moaning loud. Stannis strokes her throat, gently grabbing it, and then sliding down on her breasts, stroking them lengthily as her hips move faster and faster. The sound of water splashing the ground makes her smile ecstatically and Stannis smirks slightly, pinching gently her hard nipples. Her moans get louder, her movements harder and she suddenly and brutally tightens around her. She looks down at him and moans "Please, please…", he does not really get what she means and she suddenly throws her head backwards again and yells so loud he feels like he has to cover her mouth with his hand. He feels her climaxing around him, and it came so soon he does not even have to hold his own orgasm back. But the feeling turns him more on suddenly and he stands up, leaves the bathroom and grabs Margaery. They're both dripping but no one cares and Margaery takes his mouth in a hard and passionate kiss, nibbling his lip greedily. He moans, and brutally turns her around. Her hands grip the tub and she yelps when he starts thrusting in her. She stands up, leans against him and he lays kisses on her neck, wet kisses, his tongue licking her jugular, his arms wrapping around her to hold her tight. She moans "My King, my King", words that only excite him more. He cups her face and makes her kiss him lengthily, a tender kiss, contrasting with the violence of his movements. His free hand slides to her pussy and he rubs her clitoris quite hard. Within a few minutes, Margaery comes again and he kisses her to stifle her shout. He keeps thrusting until he comes too, groaning and biting her shoulder. His climax lasted long and he stayed in her while recovering. He felt her shaking and he looked up at her:

"Are you cold?"

She shook her head and he realized she was crying.

"Margaery, what is it?" he asked.

She turned around and fling around his neck:

"I am scared. I am so scared."

He needs a moment to wraps his arms around her naked body. As she sobs violently against his chest, she looks like a terrified teenager. There is no arrogance or confidence in her eyes, just a terrible doubt. He cups her face:

"I will come back. I will not leave you alone with the children. You hear me?"

She nods frenetically but does not calm down:

"You are my Queen. You are the mother of the future king. You have to be brave. For me, and for him."

He strokes her cheeks, saying this, wiping her tears away. She looks up at him with eyes showing a desperate need for him and, unable to restrain himself, he leads her to the wall, lifts her up and makes love to her again. She cries and begs him to go on at the same time and he feels ashamed of having so much pleasure with her. Her cries intensify after she came and she holds on him as tight as she can. He manages to calm her down, and wraps her robe around her, takes her to their room. She cries herself to sleep and he tries to comfort her as best as he can. When she ends up falling asleep, he closes his eyes, exhausted, and drifts off in a dreamless sleep.


	31. Chapter 31

They leave Winterfell the following morning. The whole population is here to say farewell to all of them, thanking them again for freeing them from the Boltons. Margaery has wanted to ride, but Stannis insisted that she must stay safe with the twins and Shireen and she obeyed her king, getting in a comfy carriage. She smiles at Winterfell's population as they start walking away from the castle. Shireen, smiling softly, waves at them. Margaery sees Jon turning around on his horse to give a last look to his cousins. Arya and Sansa wave at him, smiling slightly. With Stannis, Jon agreed that it would be better for them to stay in Winterfell, with the young Dornians. After all, no one knows what will happen during the battle. Oberyn could be killed, Jon could be killed. They know, in Winterfell, they would have time to flee if things turned wrong for Stannis. Margaery smiles as she can see him, riding his dark horse in front of his whole army, Davos and Jon by his side. He looks so good in his fur coat. A familiar pun in her belly makes her swallow hard. Ryanne whimpers and she bares her breast to feed her. She feels Shireen's look upon her and she smiles at her. The young princess smiles back and strokes her sister's head.

"Can I hold Davos?" she asks in a whisper, as the little prince is fast asleep, rocked by the pace of the horses.

"Of course, dear", Margaery says, placing the baby in her arms. Shireen immediately supports his head carefully and she starts singing a lullaby. Margaery feels tears filling up her eyes, and her hand comes to stroke Shireen's hair and cheek.

The road is long and tiring. After a few weeks, they get to White Harbor, where Asha and her men have built so many ships they can't see the colour of the sea anymore. Renly hugs his future wife happily, and kisses her. Stannis can't help admiring her work, and the dedication of her men to her and to his cause. She is a precious ally. He knows she can't wait to fight her uncles, and he knows she'll be pitiless, as they will be with her. They stay in White Harbor for two days before leaving again, Davos departing with Asha on the ships. The army leaves with them and, for a few miles, they can see each other, walking and sailing almost side by side. But soon, the men and the horses turn into small dark shadows in the landscape, before completely disappearing. Davos sighs, his eyes staring at the land: he wanted to stay by Stannis's side. But the King would not change his mind: Davos was not a soldier. He was made to sail, and so he was gonna sail with the Greyjoys. Theon was with them too. He was getting better, even though everyone knew he would never be as before. He was brave and very implied in the war. unfortunately, he couldn't do much, but he was a clever boy, and his advices were followed carefully.

Stannis wants to be as soon as possible in King's Landing: the travel is tiring, the nights short and the breaks almost absent. The men do not really complain, though. They want to go home as much as Stannis does, they want to see their families again, their wives, their children. The army progress quickly. But they still need weeks, months, before they reach Riverrun. They are welcomed here by Brynden Tully, who decided months ago to go back to his castle. Edmure would lead the Tully forces to the war. Stannis does not really like the young man, Brynden is the one he would have chosen but he understands Blackfish's wish to die at home, and not on a battlefield. Margaery gets down from the carriage, her eyes reddened with tears. She has dreaded this moment from the minute they left Winterfell. Stannis has foreseen to stay for a few days in Riverrun: the men start being exhausted, and they need to be in good shape when they get in King's Landing, both physical and moral shape. But Margaery knows this would be her last days with her King. Maybe the last ones of their lives. When the King will head to King's Landing, she will leave, with Shireen, a strong escort and the twins, to Highgarden. "Home", she thinks as she gets in Riverrun castle with her husband. "But no", she thinks. "My home is with my husband. Going back to Highgarden feels like going into a foreign country without him." She tries to stay strong as Stannis exposes his project to Brynden Tully. He doesn't look surprised, he even approves it. Lost in her thoughts, hurt, so hurt by the sorrow, Margaery hears him telling her how a battlefield is not a place for a Queen, and even less for princesses and a prince so young as the twins and Shireen. She knows he's right. She knows it. But, still, she can't help tears falling from her cheeks, sobs escaping her lips. She can feel Stannis and Brynden's looks upon her, but she does not care. Blackfish comes to her and takes her hands in his:

"Do not despair, my Queen. Stannis will win this war. You will be soon reunited."

She tries to smile but it looks more like a wince and, this night, when she joins Stannis, when their bodies unite in a perfect embrace, when his body holds hers close, when she can hears his heart beating furiously against her ear, she looks up at him, her lover, her husband, her king, and she tells him she is with child again. She knows she could have waited, she knows she could have let him leave without him knowing, but she does not want that. On the contrary, she wants to give him one more reason to fight, to survive, to win. His deep blue eyes shine with a new glimpse, the same glimpse he had when she told them about the twins and she has a sudden feeling that she is bearing a son. Another son, she thinks as she lets him kiss her again, his tongue stroking hers in a sweet kiss. She gasps and moans when he comes in her again, arching her back to fully embrace him.

They do not tell anyone about the baby: Stannis tells her she is free to tell Shireen, but only when they will be on their way to Highgarden. The following days are the hardest ones Margaery has ever lived. How will she survive waiting for him? Waiting for a crow to fly to Highgarden, with the best or the worst of the news? How would she tell Shireen if Stannis would die? How would she cope with his death? The Queen barely eats or sleeps, despite Stannis's insistence about her health. They end up arguing, sometimes violently, about that. She hates it, she heates herself for being so dependent of him, for being so weak when it comes to him. She needs to think about her children, the ones suckling her breasts, but also the one growing up inside of her. And Shireen... Shireen who sees everything, hears everything, understands everything... The day before they leave, Margaery eats her whole meal. Stannis simply nods and slightly smiles at her. She spends the night watching him sleeping, unable to find rest. When they stand in front of the carriage, the whole army behind them, her hand firmly holding Shireen's, tears stream down again. Stannis hugs her, lengthily, tightly, then Shireen, and the twins. Do they feel their mother's sorrow? He doesn't know but they start crying as soon as he gave them back to their mother. He tries to ignore the cries, and cups Margaery's face in his hands. He makes her stare at him:

"If I die..."

"Don't say that", she whimpers.

"I know we've been through this before, you and me. Promise me you'll do everything to sit Shireen on the throne. Promise me, Margaery", the King whispers.

She nods fast, staring at him:

"I promise."

Stannis lays a long kiss on her brow and whispers:

"I'll see you soon, my love."

She lets out a loud sob, and Shireen, her eyes tearful, hugs her father tight. He wraps his arms around the little body, and kisses her hair gently:

"Take care of your siblings", he tells her.

She nods smiling bravely, and he kisses one last time the heads of the babies. Then, without looking behind him, he gets on his horse and makes it walks away from the castle. The army follows him and it's only when the last man passes by Margaery and the children, that she gets in her carriage and lets the horse take them back to Highgarden.


	32. Chapter 32

_I can be somebody's and still be my own_

 _Shel SILVERSTEIN_

Margaery walks down from the carriage, holding Shireen's hand and little Davos in her arms. A servant follows with Ryanne. The Queen takes a second to breathe deeply. They are in Highgarden. They are safe. Her parents are here, as well as her grandmother. She hugs them tightly and she walks in the castle with them.

"How was your journey?" her father asks.

"It was good, thank you, Father", she answers, smiling slightly.

Shireen looks around with marveled eyes and she smiles at her. The little girl had never traveled except to go to the Wall, and Winterfell. It will do her good to feel the warmth and the sun on her face. The little girl tries to smile back, but it looks more like a wince. She misses Stannis terribly. Margaery turns to her father:

"Any news from His Grace?" she asks, shaking slightly thinking she could learn terrible news. Mace Tyrell shakes his head:

"None", he sighs slightly.

They all know the future of their lives, of their house is at stake. If Stannis loses, the revenge of the Targaryen girl or of the Lannister twins will be terrible. They will not have pity. Margaery hugs little Davos slightly, remembering what the Lannisters did to the last Queen and her children. Olenna Tyrell stares at her granddaughter and slides her arm under hers:

"Come on, darling, let's have a walk in the park".

She follows her obediently, her servant walking with them. When she walks out, the sun dazzles her and she stops walking for a moment. Shireen walks behind them, a bit shyly, smiling at the servants bowing in front of her. Olenna turns to her then to Margaery:

"She is a sweet child."

Margaery nods:

"She is, yes."

The perfume of the roses overwhelms her and she feels like she's jumping in the past, when she was running among these gardens with her brothers. Today, her brothers are risking their lives with her husband, somewhere North, where no flowers can grow. She feels her grandmother's look upon her and she swiftly turns her head away to wipe a tear. Olenna takes her granddaughter's hand and squeezes it firmly.

"How was the King when you left him?" she asks, feeling Margaery needs to talk about him.

She remembers the first letters she received from Margaery when she left first for Dragonstone with Stannis. The letters were almost unreadable because they were stained with her tears. Margaery was begging her grandmother to stop this marriage, to convince her father to come back home. She had not written to her mother. Margaery had always been closer from her grandmother, and everybody knew why: they were similar on many points. Sweet, gentle, but dangerous and ready to defend their family at all cost. As Margaery was the only girl, Olenna immediately took care of her with a certain love. It was her favorite grandchild. And now, she is looking at this young girl who turned into a grown woman, despite her still very young age, and she cannot do otherwise but admiring her beauty, her strength, her courage. Still walking among the roses, Margaery sighs a bit:

"He was fine. He was ready. Still, I fear for him."

"It's normal, sweetheart, he is your husband", Olenna shrugs slightly. "And you cannot imagine how it is when your own son goes to war", she adds, shaking her head slightly.

Margaery feels a shiver running down her spine, and wraps her arms around her, despite the burning sun of Highgarden.

"No, I guess I cannot", she whispers.

If Stannis dies, her son will be killed in front of her. If Stannis wins, there will never be another war in Westeros. They will live either a dream or a nightmare. There will not be bittersweet ending. She turns to the servants holding the twins and she takes Ryanne in her arms: she has the strange feeling Ryanne will always be left behind by her father, because a son is still more important to a man than a daughter. Shireen is different: first-born, she also almost died when she was a baby. Stannis did everything he could to save her. These kinds of events are not easily forgettable. Ryanne holds her little arm to a rose and Margaery smiles, stops and takes a little petal out of the flower. She hands it to Ryanne and the baby takes it clumsily, staring at it. Margaery suddenly realizes it's the first time they're seeing flowers. Olenna watches her, a slight smile roving on her lips, intensifying the wrinkles on the corner of her mouth and on her cheeks. She is old, she knows it. She is happy to have lived that long, in such a cruel and dangerous world. She is glad she could live enough to see her son getting married; having children of his own and now she can spend time with her great grandchildren. She observes them for a moment: Shireen is not from her blood. It sadly shows. The little girl is not pretty, probably will never be. But the sweetness in her eyes and her smile makes people forget about her ugliness, her cheek marked by grayscale, her big ears. Olenna turns to the other girl, Ryanne. She's just a baby, but she looks a lot like Margaery when she was a baby. Except for the hair. She has a lot of dark hair, characteristic of the Baratheons. And Davos… Olenna still doesn't understand how her granddaughter could give her son, the future king, the name of a smuggler, but, well, some things still escape her. She has never known Stannis as a baby but the man sure cannot disown this child: the black hair, the dark blue eyes, the lips… Everything yells that this boy is a Baratheon. Olenna secretly hopes he won't be as ugly as Stannis and that he will have something from his mother.

"Grandmother?"

The sweet voice of Margarery breaks her out of her reverie. She smiles at the young girl:

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Do you mind staying here with the children? I would like to go pray for my husband", she softly says.

"Of course, I will stay with them", she pats her shoulder comfortingly.

"Can I come?" the sweet voice of Shireen intervenes. She runs back to them, a rose in her hand.

Margaery simply smiles and holds her hand. Olenna watches them walking side by side to the Highgarden's Sept.


	33. Chapter 33

« Your Grace ? »

Stannis starts violently and sits up in his bed, turning his head to Davos. The Knight gives him an inquiring look: the King is in a sweat, when it's not even that hot, even though they are far from Winterfell and the North now. The King swallows hard and asks, obviously upset:

"What is it?"

"It's dawn, your Grace. The men are ready to leave."

Stannis nods and orders him to leave. Davos obeys, though giving him a last look. When he's alone, Stannis rubs his face with his hands, stands up from his bed and goes wash his face. He looks at his hands still shaking from the nightmare he had and clenches his fist to stop the trembling. He then eats a piece of meat, quickly, and dresses up. He had a nightmare, a terrifying nightmare. He was standing in the hall of King's Landing's castle. The floor was red. Curious, he touched it and realized it was blood. Then he was looking for Margaery, Shireen, the twins, and the unborn child Margaery carries in her belly. He calls at them, more and more panicked. And then, as he walks to the throne, he sees Margaery sitting there. He walks to her, relieved, and sees the large wound on her belly too late. He has already walked a few steps and he can see, right in front of the throne, the dead bodies of his children. Shireen, Davos, Ryanne. He looks up at Margaery, dead too, her face pale as if she had not a single drop of blood in her veins. And in her arms, an unborn boy looking like the ones Selyse was keeping with hers.

When he walks out of his tent, Davos is here. While soldiers take the tent away, he nods at Davos to follow him. Walking among his men, greeting them, he mumbles:

"You're gonna leave, Ser Davos."

"Leave?" Davos stutters. "B-but w-why? Where?"

"I want you to join my family in Highgarden", Stannis stops walking and faces him.

Davos doesn't understand:

"As your Hand, my place is at your side."

Stannis's eyes narrow: he has never liked being disrespected. He groans loud as he says:

"You're not a soldier! You're a smuggler! Your place is not in an army!"

All the soldiers turn to Stannis now and he nervously stares back at them. Davos knows, he knows this is not normal.

"Your Grace…"

"Just obey me. You're the Hand of the King, you obey me."

With these words, Stannis gets on his horse and starts walking away. The soldiers follow him, and Davos looks at them, leaving. He hates having no explanations to things. He doesn't understand Stannis' reaction. But he loves his King, so he grabs his own horse and leaves the camp to Highgarden.

The army walks for an hour or so when Stannis and Renly stop. Immediately, the army divides. Renly places his horse by Stannis's and holds his arm at him. Stannis stares at him and grabs his arm, squeezes it with his hand.

"Farewell, little brother", he says. "I'll see you in King's Landing"

Renly smiles and nods, before leaving to the east. Jon follows him, giving a nod at Stannis, and thousands of men walk with them. Soldiers who remain with Stannis murmur between themselves. Stannis glances over his shoulder and they all remain silent. He clucks his tongue and his horse starts walking again. The men follow him obediently.

Davos arrives in Highgarden 12 days after leaving Stannis's army. Margaery faints when she sees him, persuaded he comes to tell her the King is dead. It's only when she wakes up, one hour later, that Davos can explain her that the King sent him there to care for her and the children. He congratulates her for her pregnancy: she is almost ready to deliver now. Stannis had not told Davos she was with child, but why would he be surprised? The king did not confess about his private life easily. Shireen, sit by her stepmother's side, looks overjoyed to have him here. Margaery holds his hand tight:

"How was the King when you left? Please tell me."

He pats her hand gently:

"Don't worry, your Grace, he's fine."

He cannot tell her how thin he got. He cannot tell her he barely eats, and when he does, he never finishes the plate. Margaery sees in his eyes he's lying and she holds his hand tighter. Davos looks down and she stares at him until he looks back at her. He nibbles his lips nervously and suddenly, he cannot hold it back anymore:

"He misses you terribly, my Queen"

He knows he shouldn't have said that, he knows it and, thus, he cannot help it. He sees tears filling his Queen's eyes and he wishes he says something to cheer her up but he doesn't know what.

"Is Father alright?" Shireen asks, worried, and with the same tone her father uses when he wants the exact truth.

Davos turns to her and smiles slightly:

"He will be when you'll be with him. He will be when this war will be over."

"Which means he's not now?"

The Gods, if they exist, damn the Baratheon stubbornness.

"No", he admits. "He is not now."

"Is he gonna die?" the little girl's voice trembles slightly at this idea.

Davos doesn't want to lie. He cannot lie. He stares at her:

"I don't know, princess. I hope he will live and he will win."

Suddenly, the thought that he maybe could never see his King again strikes him. And he suddenly understands why Stannis sent him here. The King is no fool; he does understand he can die in this war. He sent Davos here to protect the Queen and the children in case he would die. The men who are loyal to Stannis know how much Davos is trustworthy. They know he would never abandon his king, of his heir. Davos would have to sit Stannis's heir on the throne. His eyes turn to the baby called after him and he secretly swears he will be like a second father to him. The baby's eyes meet his and his lips curls up on a toothless smile.


	34. Chapter 34

Margaery is walking with Shireen around Highgarden's gardens when her water breaks. Panicked, the little girl runs to find a maester and, soon, Margaery is taken to a room where the maester and some servants are waiting for her. Davos stays outside with Shireen, when the twins are taken away by another servant. The labor is long and exhausting. Shireen and the twins are fast asleep in their rooms when the maester finally comes out of the room, his hands bloody, looking tired. Davos, half asleep on a bench, suddenly stands up:

"How is the Queen?" he asks feverishly.

"She is tired but fine. The baby is healthy. It's a boy."

Davos can't hold back a huge grin. Stannis will be so happy when he'll see his new son. The maester grabs a towel and wipes his hands before looking up at Davos:

"Would you like to see them?"

He nods, the Maester walks in the room again, Davos following him, his hands joined in his back. The Queen is in the bed, her hair braided messily. She is holding the newborn in her arms, and is staring at him intently. Sit by her side on a chair, Olenna Tyrell lays a watchful eye on them. The baby is mewling a bit. Margaery brushes his brow with her lips and holds him tighter. She then looks up and sees the two men standing in front of the bed. Davos bows at her and she smiles.

"Congratulations, your Grace", he says, smiling.

"Thank you, Ser Davos."

"What will be his name?" the Maester asks.

"I don't know yet", the Queen sighs. "I have never decided that alone… And I did not have time to talk about that with the King. Do you have an idea, Ser Davos?"

"Ah I am sorry your Grace, I am terrible at finding names. Except for my two last sons, my wife chose them all" he says with a smile.

The Queen lets out a light sigh and turns to her grandmother:

"How did you find Father's name?"

"Oh dear, I honestly cannot remember", she chuckles before suggesting: "Why not a name that remind you of Stannis?"

Margaery nods silently and stares at the baby, dark-haired just like his siblings. He has fallen asleep in her arms, and she notices how he looks like he will be gracious as her, but still have his father's strong face. She hears herself whispering:

"Marnis…"

"What did you say, dear?" Olenna bends on her.

"I think I'm going to call him Marnis. Half me, half Stannis", she explains.

"The King for sure will appreciate that", Davos smiles.

Margaery smiles at him and the maester says:

"Your Grace, you need to rest. Please", he turns to Davos and Olenna, "do you mind leaving her?"

"I do", Olenna severely says. "She's my granddaughter. I'm staying with her."

None of them dare say something against her and the two men leave. Davos goes to sleep, not willing to wake Shireen up. She will have time to see her brother the next morning. Alone in his room, he watches out by the window. He wishes so much he could send a message to Stannis. But it is risky. Way too risky. Davos knows his King, he knows he is probably aware of the day. Stannis should know his wife was supposed to deliver today. He touches his knuckles and decides it's time to sleep. He heads to his bed and lies on it, falling asleep immediately.

The day after, when a servant wakes him up, he joins everybody in the great room to share food. Margaery is not here of course, and he notices Shireen is absent too. Mace Tyrell explains him Shireen has woken up early and has immediately asked to see Margaery. Davos nods, happy the two of them get along so well together. The twins are here tho, Ryanne clumsily trying to walk, when little Davos is way more self assured. Davos cannot look at him without smiling like an idiot. He loves this boy more than anything. Of course he loves his own children, and even Stannis's other ones but this little toddler has a unique place for him. He's the symbol of the respect Stannis has for him. He keeps his knuckles as a reminder of what he was before meeting his King. The baby boy is just the living image of what he has become now. The hand of the One True King. The toddler walks to him and puts his arms up: his dark blue eyes, so similar to his father's, stare at him with the same determination, the same stubbornness some say. Davos picks him up and sits him on his knees. The boy is still breastfeed by Margaery, but he tries more and more solid food. He holds his hand out to a piece of fruit and Davos gives one to him, carefully watching the child eating it. Soon, he gets tired and wriggles out of his knees to go play with his sister. Davos keeps watching them, until servants come to take them out. The sun is shining brightly, the temperature is ideal. The Knight stands up to go see Margaery. He spends an hour with her, and then lets her rest with her newborn. Shireen holds his hand as they walk out to join the twins: they are playing with mud, laughing together. Shireen, her, asks Davos to go with her horseriding. The Knight accepts joyfully, and they both leave the castle. Once they're alone, Shireen asks him:

"Do you have news from Father?"

The old smuggler shakes his head:

"No, princess. None."

"I can't say if it's good news or bad news", she sighs too.

"Princess, if your father was dead, we would know it."

He shivered at this idea, remembering what Margaery told him when they alluded this possibility. Margaery urged him to flee with the children and to not care about her. " _The children are the future. You cannot leave them behind, even if that means leaving me behind, do you understand_?" He remembers the look on her face this day. Both of them knew what it meant. Margaery would die to give them a chance of running away. He turns to the sweet girl and tries to smile at her. She sadly smiles back and they keep riding.


	35. Chapter 35

When the army wakes up, a thick fog has settled in during the night. Stannis walks out of his tent, dressed for the battle and smiles slightly: it's a perfect weather. He silently hopes Asha is as close from King's Landing as they are. Last night, when they settled the camp, they could see King's Landing from where they were. He had waited for a messenger; maybe a peace proposal from the Lannisters but no one came. He was neither surprised nor disappointed. The Lannisters would cling on the throne to the very end. If they would have made peace, his advisors would have told him to spare them. He didn't want to.

The only question remaining was: what would he do with the children? Exile them would be a good idea, Edmure Tully said. He didn't know if Joffrey would be among his men during the battle. He hoped so, that would be a problem solved. Tommen to the Wall, but Jon had not decided what he would do yet. Could they both live together in Castleblack, knowing the hate between the two families? And what about the young Myrcella?

He stops walking and stands in front of the fog, but he knows King's Landing is standing right in front of him. He's so close from his goal. Stannis turns to his men, getting ready, and he feels the beatings of his heart increasing their pace. He has fought some battles, and he's as scared as when he was a young, too young man. Robert was never scared, which was only a way to show his stupidity. It's normal to be scared of death. It's normal to be scared of going to a battle. One of his soldiers brings him water and a piece of bread. He thanks him with a nod and eats slowly. He can't help thinking about Margaery and the children. Were they alive? He would not even know. He closes his eyes, seeing Margaery in his head. When he is imagining her, sun is always shining bright, revealing the shades of her hair, of her eyes. He then thinks of the baby who is born in Highgarden: he wonders if it is a boy or a girl, whose name Margaery has chosen for him or her, if he will get the chance to know him.

"Your Grace?"

Lost in thought, he does not answer right away. The voice gets more insistent:

"Your Grace?"

He turns to Edmure, all dressed up for the battle.

"Men are ready, your Grace"

Stannis nods and another soldier takes his horse to him. He gets on it and, silently, starts riding to King's Landing. The sound of the whole army walking all of a sudden is very deafening. The horses pulling the catapults neigh a lot. The people of King's Landing would know soon enough they are coming.

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In the Red Keep, Cersei watches the sky by the window. She had gotten up early, and, since then, she feels weirdly nervous. She has heard Stannis was walking on King's Landing. Rumors spread in the town as fast as a river running after too much rain. She had sent spied in the town, has arrested the people wanting to support Stannis. The tension is palpable in the city. As Stannis's allies, Highgarden has stopped sending food to King's Landing. Of course, Cersei never suffered from it. But the people did and soon, some of her advisors suggested that they should surrender. "You cannot win", they said. "And if the population is against you, you've lost." She had executed them. Soon, Jaime was the only one left. She turns to him, lied in their bed and she grabs a glass, pours it with wine. She is about to sit with him when a servant knocks on the door. Cersei rolls her eyes:

"What is it?" she walks to the door and opens it. With the servant is a soldier. He looks at her with widened eyes, and she can read panic in it.

"Speak" she orders him.

"Stannis is here, your Grace"

"Does the King know?" she asks.

"Yes, your Grace. I told him before coming here."

She stares at him, blankly, no feelings showing on her face. She simply nods and closes the door, before waking Jaime up.

The fog is still present, even though it is not dawn anymore. Among his soldiers, Stannis can hear "The Gods are with us today". He holds back a snort and stops when he feels he can hit the city with the catapults. He can see the Lannisters bending their bows on them. Stannis turns to Edmure, who nods at him, before looking behind him. The soldiers stare at him, probably hoping for a speech. But Stannis has never been good at that. His eyes leave the army to look further, on the hills. He had no news from Renly either, who left weeks ago with Jon and a good part of the army. He silently hopes his brother is alive. Without a word, he takes the handle of his sword and swiftly unsheathes it. His men follow and shout with excitement.

"Lord Edmure", he commands. "Warn them we're here."

Edmure nods and turns to the soldiers:

"Catapult!"

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In King's Landing, the population, frightened, runs inside their houses. Joffrey tells his mother to join the other women and stay safe. Cersei watches him, very pale, getting ready for the battle. She begs him not to go, but he insists the men need their king with them. She watches him leaving with Jaime and her heart swollen with pride. Father and son, side by side.

The people from the City, tho, have nowhere to hide. And when they hear the sounds of the catapult, panic spreads among them. Everybody looks for a place to hide, children lose their parents and cry with fear, old people fall and shout with pain as the younger ones run on their bodies. A man is running in the streets, unable to find somewhere to be safe. He hears weird noises and, as he looks up, he sees something dark flying in the air and falling right on him. "I'm gonna die", he silently thinks and, as a reflex, he places his arms on his face to protect himself. He shouts when the object hits his face and, immediately, he frowns: he should be dead. He looks around and down to his feet: it is here, by his feet, and he clumsily takes it. A smile lightens up his face and he shouts to warn the others: "Bread! It's bread!" As the other people shyly come out, he grabs breads all along the streets. Soon, he is followed by the others. He sees an old man leant against a wall, his leg bleeding and he kneels by him to give him bread. The man's eyes widen, his face hollowed by the hunger. "Where did you find that, boy?" his quaking voice asks.

"Stannis sent them", he whispers to him, scared soldiers could hear him.

Tears come to the old man's eyes:

"The gods blessed him."

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Edmure can't help smiling when he hears the noises of the population cheering. Stannis, him, is still on his horse, ready to start the fight. "When we'll take city", he says quietly but all the soldiers are listening to him. "I want no rape, no plundering. We're here to save the city, not to ruin it." With a same voice, the soldiers shout:

"Aye!"

He looks at them and nods:

"Take it."

The first soldiers run to the city yelling. On the battlements, the Lannister commanders shout their men to be ready. Stannis places his archers close enough to hit them, but far enough to have the minimum casualties. He stares at his men running to the city, the Baratheon flag everywhere, mixed with the Tullys and the Tyrells. Garlan and Loras Tyrell lead them, Edmure leading the Tullys. The Lannisters shoot arrows endlessly and kill numerous men but still, some are able to place the ladders against the wall and to start climbing up. Stannis, behind them, watches everything, shouts orders when something does not suit him. They've attacked all the gates simultaneously. Stannis knows a town is easier to defend than to take, but the number is with them. Brienne is staying with him, they are alone, watching the soldiers fighting. Sandor has been one of the first to reach the city, even tho he should have stayed by the King. But Stannis understands his thirst for finding and killing his brother. Brienne and Stannis turn with the same swift movement when they hear foghorn resounding on the sea. From where they are, they just see little black points getting closer from the city. Stannis can't hold back his smile:

"Asha", he whispers and Brienne and him exchange a knowing look.

On the battlements, the Lannisters heard the foghorn too. A captain rushes to the sea:

"Protect the city! Pro-"

An arrow shuts him up by getting through his throat. Asha, on the bow of her ship, lowers her bow.

"Get ready to land!" she shouts and her men shout. She turns to them:

"Let's get rid of Lannisters" she smiles.

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Panic spreads into the Lannister ranks. Joffrey stares at his men, unable to do whatsoever. Th e captains yell at each other, some turns to the young king:

"Your Grace, what are your orders? Your orders, your Grace!"

Joffrey mumbles something:

"Fight til your death."

The captains nod and organize the defense of the city. They had not seen Asha coming and, by time they realize, she was too close to do whatsoever. Joffrey feels lost, completely lost. Gregor Clegane protects him the best he can, but soon, the boy feels sick. The noises, the yells of the men dying, the smell of death, blood and shit. One of his captain asks him if he's okay. The second after, Joffrey's face is spotted with blood. The captain had received an arrow breaking through his face. Joffrey looks at him and throws up on his dead body. He looks for his uncle but Jaime is nowhere to be seen. The King turns to the sea and gasps when he sees Asha's ships.

Under the Red Keep, Cersei and the women stay together. Tommen is huddled up against her, Myrcella sobs with the others. She is fed up with hearing them cry and pitying themselves. Joffrey is going to win. Jaime is going to win. He had constantly told her they would not win this battle but Cersei knows her brother. He's better than a million soldiers. He could kill Stannis's army with his lonely arm. The women can't stop crying so she walks away from them and, by a little window, she tries to see how the battle goes. But she only sees dead bodies and black shadows on the sea. If she is sure the city is lost, she knows what she will have to do. She looks at her children, smiling slightly. The Gods know what Stannis would do to her children. She cannot let him do. She shall not let him do. With a sigh, she turns to the servant and asks for another cup of wine.

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The battle keeps going all morning long: injured soldiers start getting back to the camp, and the masters take care of them the best they can. Stannis checks Davos's sons are not among them before getting back to the battle. He sees a first Baratheon flag inside the city and his heart hammers in his chest. The flag is torn down tho and the soldier who was holding it is thrown over the battlements. He cannot hear his yell with the row but he winces when he sees the body falling. The soldiers don't look like they care: they keep climbing up, some fall, some are pushed off, some make it and get in the city. And suddenly, the River/Mud gate opens. It's Asha, he thinks, as he watches the Greyjoys rushing in by the door. Stannis's horse can feel his nervousness and he neighs loudly. Brienne looks at him and suddenly freezes.

"What is it?" Stannis asks.

She points her finger on Stannis's empty side and he looks this way. He almost yells with joy: Renly is galloping to them, his men following him, Jon by his side.

"Hello brother!" Renly smiles huge.

"Renly", Stannis nods. "How was Casterly Rock?"

"Pretty. But the visit was short", he replies. "Brienne", he nods at her.

Stannis watches her blushing slightly and he holds back a dismayed sigh. He looks at Jon:

"Glad to see you back, Lord Snow. How many dead?" he nods at the army.

"A few thousands. We also left men to keep Casterly Rock"

"Good", Stannis nods. "Are your men fit?" he asks Renly again.

"Aye, they are. Ready for this battle", he smiles.

Stannis nods at them to join his men already fighting and they do so. Renly places his horse by Stannis' side.

"Have you seen Asha?" he asks him.

"She landed a few hours ago", he points at the ships waiting on Blackwater. "They opened a gate already, and I'm pretty sure the others won't last."

"Good", Renly nods smiling. "I can't wait to see her. What about Margaery?"

Stannis shakes his head:

"She is in Highgarden. I hope. I told her to not send messages in case someone would intercepted them. I sent Davos joining her a few weeks after she left, because I was worried about her and the children. He didn't come back. He's either there, or dead. I will know only once I take this city."

His hands tighten on the reins and his eyes stare at the battlefield. He sees another gate opening, then a third. Lannister flags start falling down, one after the other. "We're here", he thinks. "We're winning".

"What are you gonna do with the Lannisters?" Renly asks.

"I don't know yet. I'll have the Kingslayer and Cersei executed for treason and incest, if they survive the battle. As for the children… I don't know. I'll need your advice, as well as Jon's and Edmure's and the Tyrells'."

Renly nods and looks back at the battlefield.

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Sandor is walking in the city, killing all the soldiers he sees. He doesn't care about them, he cares only about one. Suddenly, he sees him. He cannot mistake his brother for someone else. No one can. He sees him grabbing a young Tully soldier's skull, lifting him up and throwing him on a wall. Probably the same thing that he had done with Aegon. Sandor spits on the ground and walks to him. Gregor slowly turns around to face him. He has changed, Sandor thinks. What the hell did they do to him. Gregor rushes on him, Sandor does not even know if he had recognized him. Gregor punches him hard in the face and he stumbles backwards but he remains on his feet and attacks him back. Their swords crash against each other, Sandor blocks his brother and tries to aim his legs, because he knows with his weight and height, he couldn't stand back up. He strikes again and again and again, he knows he hits him, he can see him bleed but Gregor doesn't look like he feels anything. He roars with rage, grabs Sandor's throat and lifts him up as easily as if Sandor was a kitten. Sandor knows what he's gonna do and panic spreads into his veins. He strikes his neck with his sword, and, as blood rushes on him, Grego doesn't show any weakness. Sandor widens his eyes with fear: it's like Gregor cannot die. He keeps striking him, blood spurted out of his throat and, after long minutes, his grip weakens. Sandor doesn't stop striking, his face covered with his own brother's blood. The giant man slowly loses his grip, falling on his knees. Sandor lets out a groan of despair and rage and keeps hitting him.

Jaime is fighting bravely, his heart hammering in his chest. The hours of training are finally useful: his sword crushes Stannis's men, chops skulls, and goes through bellys, cuts arms or legs. He feels alive suddenly, as if all these years at court had anaesthetized him. He pants hard, his arm and his legs are hurting him terribly but at least he feels something. He has known, from the moment he had gone to the battle, that it was lost. Cersei cannot understand that, Cersei has never fought a battle in her life. Stannis had the number, the strategy. When men had yelled that ships were coming, Jaime had snorted. _Well done, Stannis, well done_. He had not given up the fight, tho. He knew his fate was sealed: he would die, either on the battlefield or executed by Stannis. Honestly, he would prefer that than going to the Wall, freezing for the rest of his life protecting people who had always spit on him. His movement get slower with time and he feels suddenly blinded by a bright light. He closes his eyes and winces but, after a moment, he realizes it's just the sunset. He looks around him and sees bodies piled up on each other, Lannisters, Baratheons, Tullys, Tyrells, united in death. Silence brutally strikes him: he looks up, and around again. He's alone. Where are my soldiers? He wonders. He wants to walk but stumbles and falls down: his eyes stop on his leg, badly bleeding, and he leans on the handle of his sword to stand up again. He stumbles to the battlements, and sees his men walking out of the castle, armless, and the Baratheons chaining them up.

"What are you doing?!" he yells. "Come back and fight!"

The soldiers do not even look at him. They keep walking and sit down. Jaime stares at her and suddenly, Cersei. He rushes as fast as he can to the Red Keep but it's too late. The door is open, the women are all gone. He walks in, calling at her weak. "Cersei?" his voice is like a whisper. He stumbles harder and almost falls down. He is tired, so tired. He just wants to sleep, now. Jaime feels something weird under his foot and looks down. His eyes widen with horror and he gasps, wants to walk back but he stumbles harder than the other time and falls back. His mouth swirls in a weird expression: he has walked on Cersei's hair. Here she is, lying on the cold floor, her hair looking like a wheat field. Her beautiful emerald eyes are closed and he crawls to her. Maybe she's asleep, he thinks. But as he crawls closer, he notices the two little bodies by her side.

"Cersei…" he whispers, then his voice grows into anger. "Cersei, what have you done?"

He grabs her by her dress and shakes her violently. But her body is as limp as a rag doll. As he moves her, a phial falls from her hand. He takes it, looks at them and understands. She had often told her how living with Robert was like being in a prison, and he remembers how she had refused to marry someone else after his death. She had known what her fate was when the battle was lost. Jaime closes his eyes: if only he could sleep. Sleep and never wake up. He is too weak to open his eyes, and slowly falls by Cersei's body.

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Stannis walks in the city on his horse, acclaimed by his soldiers. They have made hundreds, maybe thousands of prisoners among the Lannisters. He looks at the dead bodies scattered everywhere on the road to the Red Keep. His eyes then focus on it: standing proudly, the red Keep has not suffered from the battle. Cersei's court has been made prisoners. Renly is following him. He let the soldiers rest, they deserved it after such a day. He gets off his horse and slowly climbs up the stairs to the red keep. The great hall is empty. He remembers, when Robert was king, how it was to be there, to serve a King. Now, he is the King. He stares at the Iron Throne, enlightened by the last sunray of the day. He closes his eyes, sees his family in his head and sits on the Iron Throne.


	36. Chapter 36

_**Winterfell**_

Arya is having a sword fight with Quentyn Martell when they hear a loud croak. Arya swiftly turns around and Quentyn takes the most of it to slap her butt with his wooden sword.

"Hey!" Arya protests but he just laughs and runs to the raven. Arya runs with him and is the first one to reach the bird. She swiftly takes the message from him and gives him food as she reads the message. A huge grin enlightens her face and her eyes shine brightly.

"What is it? Is it Stannis?" Quentyn asks insistently.

She nods and runs away to find Sansa. She climbs up the stairs two at a time and rushes in her room. Sansa is sewing and the noise of the door opening and smashing against the wall makes her startle violently. The needle cuts her finger and she starts bleeding.

"Arya! Look at what you've done!"

Without a word, Arya runs to her and hugs her tightly, her little arms squeezing her big sister's body. She starts shaking and Sansa realizes her sister is crying.

"Arya, what is it? Tell me!"

She stays stuck against her sister for a second and moves away, looking at her with tears streaming down her face.

"Stannis won. He won the Iron Throne. The Queen is dead. She poisoned her children before poisoning herself."

"How do you know that?" Sansa asks, her eyes widening.

Arya hands her the message written in a haste. Sansa gets closer from the window and reads:

" _Children,_

 _The Lannisters are defeated. Cersei poisoned Tommen and Myrcella before poisoning herself. The Kingslayer has survived and will be hung. Joffrey's body was found among the soldiers. Your cousin is alive. We need to marry you as soon as possible so join us, as soon as you have received this message._

 _King Stannis I_ "

Sansa feels tears running to her eyes and she looks at Arya before hugging her tight.

"Let's pack", Arya says, excitedly.

Everyone is soon warned in Winterfell and Arya decides to take a walk before leaving her castle. Gendry had stayed inside and she hardly realizes that in a few weeks, she is gonna get married to him. She hardly realizes that it's over, that they're in peace. But, no, she thinks. It's not over. There is still Daenerys, and the White Walkers. She follows the river, the river where, a long time ago now, she threw Joffrey's sword in it. It was a sunny day, she remembers, and Sansa was wearing one of thos beautiful dresses of hers. She sighed thinking about Micah, and looked around her. The grass was covered by snow now, and the river had almost frozen. She turns to the woods bordering the river and she freezes suddenly: in front of her, a wolf stands, showing its fangs. Arya's heart fastens its pace. She knows it is not any wolf. The eyes, these golden eyes… Arya slowly kneels down and startles when the direwolf groans loudly, as to warn her.

"Nymeria…" she whispers. "It's me… You remember me… right?"

Nymeria stops groaning but her ears are still leaning against her skull, her teeth shining. From time to time, her tongue would lick her fangs. Arya takes a step forward, but Nymeria jumps out and runs away in the woods. The young girl is about to follow her but she hears people calling at her and she guesses it's time for them to leave. She joins them all, and tells Sansa, on their way to King's Landing that she has seen Nymeria. As they leave the castle, Shaggydog trots by Rickon's horse. Suddenly, the horses neigh noisily and panick. Shaggydog groans and, from the woods, a wolf jumps on him and attacks him. The men accompanying the Starks and the Martells grab their bows. Arya shouts:

"No! No don't kill her! It's my wolf, don't kill her!"

For a moment, they cannot see anything but a snowstorm with black and grey hair flying all around them. Rickon yells at his wolf, but none of them stop. Until, as soon as they had attacked each other, they stop. Shaggydog goes by Rickon's side again, and Nymeria joins Arya. She feels so happy to have her back, but, as they stop to eat and sleep for the night, Nymeria insistently looks at the forest. Arya can hear wolves howling and she knows they're calling at her. She sits by her and gives her a piece of meat. But Nymeria doesn't eat it. She is not Arya's direwolf anymore, she is a hunter, a wild beast, an alpha female in a pack. Arya wraps her arms around her and snuggles her nose in her fur to smell her one last time. She whispers in her ear:

"Go join them, Nymeria. You belong to them now. I'll never forget you, and we'll meet again in my dreams. Go and be happy."

The direwolf stares at her and licks her face, making Arya giggles. Then, slowly, Nymeria walks away from the procession to go back to Winterfell's woods. Arya's giggles turn into sobs when she can't see her anymore and she cries herself to sleep, Gendry's strong arms comforting her as best as he can.

 _ **Highgarden**_

Margaery reads again and again the message her husband sent to Highgarden. Next to her, Davos has sit, crying his eyes out.

" _Come join me, my Queen. Your new home awaits you. Tell Ser Davos his boys Dale and Maric fought bravely. Tell him I'm sorry to give him the saddest news a father can hear Loras is well. We cannot wait to see you again._ "

At first, she had thought of a trap but they had both recognized Stannis's handwriting. Her heart is like torn into two, between the immense happiness of knowing he's alive, and the awful news about Davos's sons. How awful war is. Men and women lose fathers, brothers, sons. Matthos first, then two others. Of seven sons, only four are still alive. Margaery folds the letter and sits by the Knight, taking his hand in hers.

"I am so sorry, Ser Davos."

He sniffles and squeezes her hand with his.

"I know, your Grace. Thank you."

Davos wipes his tears away and stands up:

"You should ask your servants to pack your things. We'll leave tomorrow."

She nods smiling slightly and leaves to see Shireen and the children. They are all in the castle's garden, chasing each other. Their laughs echo among the birds singing and the sounds of the cicadas. When they see her, they run to hug her:

"Mother!" they all shout laughing.

"Children, please calm down. I have something important to tell you."

She leads them to a bench and sits down, the children facing her. Shireen, her dark hair shining with the sun, her breasts starting to show under her dress; Ryanne and Davos, the twins, now able to run and to talk; and Marnis, the last one, the one Stannis has never even seen, never felt in his mother's womb, who has started to walk clumsily. They are all staring at her, waiting for her to talk. Shireen, impatient, asks:

"You had news from Father?"

Margaery nods slowly:

"Has he won?" Shireen simply asks.

Margaery nods again. Shireen bellows with joy and picks Marnis up, turns on herself holding him. The little boy can't stop laughing and the twins run around shouting excitingly. The Queen looks at them, tears of joy filling up her eyes. She remains quiet tho, remembering the sacrifices of Davos's sons. Shireen lets Marnis walk and joins her:

"Is there something else?" she asks.

Margaery doesn't feel like lying and she nods slowly:

"Ser Davos has lost three sons in the battle."

Shireen gasps and puts her hand on her mouth:

"Oh no! Where is he now?"

"In the castle, getting ready to leave to King's Landing."

Before Margaery could add anything, the girl runs back in the castle. She passes by Mace and Olenna, who join Margaery:

"We heard about the good news", Mace says smiling.

Margaery stands up and hugs them both:

"I'm so happy he won. And, at the same time, I don't want to leave. Highgarden is my home."

"It will always be your home", Olenna says. "But your place is with your husband, my Queen", she adds with a soft smile and Margaery feels a bit better.

"Daenerys is not dead yet", she whispers so the children don't hear.

Mace walks with her away from the kids:

"He has defeated the Lannisters. All Westeros is behind him. Daenerys has a smaller army, and Stannis had thought about the dragons. Enjoy your time with your husband, my daughter. Enjoy those times of peace."

Margaery nods and stays quiet but she knows those times are not gonna last. Daenerys will soon be in Westeros, and the White Walkers are still the biggest threat. She tries to let happiness overwhelming her, the relief to know Stannis and her brother are alive and not injured, but it just lasts a few minutes before worry knots her stomach again. She decides to go help the servants packing her clothes, at least she won't think about anything while doing so.

She barely sleeps at night, and falls asleep as soon as she gets in the chariot. The road will be long and tiring, but at least she'll be with Stannis. A whole year apart… Sometimes she cannot remember the shape of his body, the color of his eyes. But every night, she would dream of him. Sometimes he would be fighting in front of her, sometimes they would be cuddling, and sometimes he would be walking, holding Shireen's hands. She wakes up at the sound of a crowd cheering. She opens her eyes and looks by the window: simple people, peasants and small folks would greet her and the children. She smiles and waves back at them, but a part of her would wonder who among them had always supported Stannis and who was cheering for them to avoid being killed. Will Stannis ever be loved among the people of Westeros? He was stern, and grave, but he had never hated his people. Margaery never understood the hate most of them radiate towards him. Maybe it's because Robert killed the beloved prince Rhaegar. But Stannis was far from being like Robert. She just hopes one day, they would see him as she sees him: a noble and just man, willing to sacrifice himself for Westeros.

 _ **King's Landing**_

Stannis waits for Margaery and Davos to join the capital. He knows the Starks are on their way, but the travel is twice as long as Margaery's. As he waits, he prepares the crowning, passes the first laws he feels necessary, and prepares for Daenerys's arrival. He organizes the defense of the city, welcomes Lords coming to bend the knee. He asks Sandor to stay a bit longer, until all the enemies are dead. Sandor takes a few days to think about it and ends up agreeing. Stannis also spends hours organizing the weddings he had promised, and decide they would all take place in King's Landing, as it is more convenient. The two Stark girls would marry the same day, in a common ceremony, as their mother before them. The day is long, nights short and soon is the day when Margaery should be there. A guard announces the arrival of the procession, and Stannis dresses up before waiting in front of the Red Keep. He plays with his tongue, his teeth nibbling it gently: he feels weirdly nervous, as if he was expecting awful news when they would get there. The escort gets in the city and rides to the Red Keep. Stannis hears the crowd welcoming its Queen. He holds back a smile and waits. His heart skips a beat when he sees the chariot. Here they are, a few meters from him. Davos is riding by the chariot's side and he stares at the red Keep, at the small shadow he knows is the King. The chariot gets closer and closer before stopping in front of the king. The door opens suddenly and Shireens storms out of it and rushes in Stannis's arms. At first he doesn't even recognize her. She wraps her arms around his neck:

"Father… I've missed you"

Stannis hugs her back:

"I have missed you too, Shireen. Let me look at you."

She gets back on the ground and takes a step back so he looks at her. His eyes stare at hers:

"Last time I saw you, you were a child. Now, you look like a woman."

Her cheeks turn pink and she smiles:

"You haven't changed, father. Come on guys, get out" she tells to the chariot.

Davos and Ryanne are the second ones to leave: they had grown up too, and talk fluently now. Stannis hugs them both before looking back at the chariot: Margaery steps out, holding Marnis in her arms. A huge grin is locked on her face, her eyes sparkling with emotions. Stannis slightly gasps when he sees the boy she is holding: her bump was not even seeing when she left. Now, a one year old baby is staring at him. A baby who looks more like him than all the other ones. He takes two steps to join Margaery. She curtseys in front of him, and he slightly bows. They exchange a look which says more than a thousand words and she gives him Marnis.

"What's his name?" Stannis asks.

"Marnis", Margaery smiles and kisses the baby's head.

She turns at the crowd who followed them and waves at them. Stannis does the same, pretty clumsily and they walk in the Red Keep, followed by Davos.

As soon as they're alone, Stannis officially names Davos as Hand of the King and tells him Allard should rule in Cape Wrath as his wife should join him here with Steffon and Stannis, his two last sons. Davos sends a message to his wife immediately. Stannis spends an hour with his children, works with Davos about Daenerys and the White Walkers. Davos is glad to see Jon, Renly, Loras, Asha again. Renly and Asha had already been married but are staying to help Stannis. _As long as the White Walkers are still alive, the war is not over_ , Jon repeats.

They enjoy a feast at night but soon, everybody feels tired and goes to bed. Margaery feels a bit lost in this giant castle: she had loved Winterfell, she had loved Storm's End. She could love King's Landing. Her servants have prepared the royal room for them and she dismisses them, wishing to be alone for a moment. From her window, she can see the sea, she knows Daenerys is gonna come from there. She shivers, knowing what will happen, and startles violently when she feels arms around her.

"It's just me" Stannis whispers.

She turns to him and wraps her arms around his neck:

"I've missed you so much…"

He places his hands on her hips and his thumb strokes her skin, making her shivering even tho it's through the fabric of her tunic.

"I did miss you too…" he replies, staring at her.

She bites her lip, almost willing to tell him she knows, that Davos told her, but she feels he would not like that, so she keeps the secret and kisses his lips.

"My King", she whispers before deepening the kiss, leaning against the wall by the window. A sweet wind picks up and she shivers again, her nipples getting hard. Stannis kisses back, and she swiftly slides her tunic off, guiding his hands to her breasts. She is still breastfeeding Marnis, and they're filled with milk, round and heavy. He stops kissing her lips and runs his lips to her neck, gently, eager to taste her again after so many months apart. She gasps and moans loud when his lips take her nipples, sucking them gently, licking the darker skin of her areola. Margaery closes her eyes, enjoying his kisses, his strokes, stroking his hair. He had turned more grayish than when he left her, but he's still very handsome in her eyes. It's the King's turn to bend the knee, and Margaery can't help smiling huge looking down at him, his lips now smothering her belly with kisses. She spreads her legs and a loud moan escapes her lips when his tongue slides on her slit. Stannis had never done that to her and she doesn't know where he got the idea from, but she loves it. Her nails dig in his hair and she hears her groaning with pain. She mumbles "Sorry" and strokes his hair instead, with the same rhythm of his tongue on her. She feels herself getting very wet, and she's torned between begging him to come in her and begging him to make her come this way. She closes her eyes again, leans her head back, her bare throat, her lips half opened. Stannis's tongue follows her moans, insisting when she is louder and soon, she pulls on his hair and he sucks her clitoris. Margaery's legs shake hard as she comes, her body jolting violently. Stannis lays sweet kisses on her pubis, and goes wash his face with water before coming back to her. He kisses her again, Margaery undoing his undergarments and wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She winces slightly when he gets in her, it has been so long, and she needs to get used to his size again. Stannis stays still in her for a moment, enjoying the feeling of her around him, and he starts thrusting gently. He supports her with his arms, squeezing her skin when the pleasure is too intense and kissing her deeply, his tongue stroking his lovingly. He strokes her thighs and her breasts as he thrusts faster, unable to restrain after such a long time. His eyes lock hers and his thumb gently strokes her lips, his own lips curling into a smile when she licks and kisses his thumb. His hands run back to her butt and he squeezes it, moving away from the wall to hold her and thrusting faster again. Margaery throws her head back and he licks and nibbles her throat. She groans and strokes his hair intently, and he feels her tightening around him. He sighs loudly with pleasure at this feeling and Margaery whispers in his ear: "I'm close…" He keeps her against him, his strong hands holding her and he thrusts as hard as he can. Margaery's moans turn into yells of ecstasy and she comes, her body shaking violently against his. He groans and bites her shoulder when he comes too and they stay like this, sharing kisses and strokes, until Stannis lies her down in bed. Margaery immediately curls up against him, her leg on his, her hand stroking his chest, as if they had left each other yesterday. She looks at him, stroking his face. How happy she would be to have another child with him. Another dark haired boy, or maybe a girl, for Ryanne and Shireen. She sighs with happiness and keeps stroking his chest until tiredness overwhelms her and she drifts to a dreamless sleep.


	37. Chapter 37

_King's Landing_

Margaery smiles at Loras, guarding the King's chambers' door, and slightly knocks on the door. Her brother turns to her:

"I don't think you need to knock before coming in, you know..."

Margaery holds back a chuckle and whispers:

"I prefer being sure of not disturbing him."

The voice of the king, appearing tired and weary, rings out:

"Come in"

Loras bows in front of his sister and opens the door:

"Your Grace", he smiles cheekily and Margaery slightly punches his shoulder before coming in.

Stannis is still working, and the candle he has used is almost done. The quill in his hand strokes the parchment he's writing on quickly, leaving traces of his tiny handwriting. He looks up when the door opens, and smiles at Margaery, but does not stop writing. The Queen walks behind his chair, leans a hand on his shoulder. His muscles are sore, she can feel it and she decides to rub his shoulder gently. She glances at the parchment, where he applies his seal.

"What is it?" she asks.

"Gendry's legitimisation", the King sighs.

Margaery knew he didn't approve that. But Renly had decided to rule the Iron Islands with Asha Greyjoy, and Stannis couldn't give Storm's End to someone else than a Baratheon. He had just asked that one of his sons would inherit Storm's End after Gendry's death. Gendry had accepted, already thankful of becoming a lord, when he was born from an adultery relationship. Margaery's hand moves the parchment away and looks at the one under, with machines of war drawn. She swallows hard and Stannis says, absent-mindedly:

"Preparation of the battle with Daenerys."

"And after, the Others?" she asks, already dreading his answer.

His strong hand takes her small one in his and he looks up at her, simply answers:

"Yes."

She lets out a loud sigh: would there be a time of peace, when they could be happy and together, watching their children grow up, growing old and grey together. Margaery stars at her husband and strokes his short hair, already starting to get greyish. He has celebrated his 40th name day not long ago. She hardly believes four years had passed since she knows him. She still remembers the day he walked in Highgarden, to marry her. Now, he had watched his own daughter leaving for Dorne to get married in turn. He had led her to her husband, and Margaery had watched them, tears filling her eyes as she looked at Shireen, smiling and happy, when she had known her a sad and stern little girl. Shireen was gone, Davos, Ryanne and Marnis were little children, running happily in the corridors of the Red Keep. The small folks loved them, the lords loved them, and the servants loved them. Ryanne looked more and more like her mother with every moon, the boys promised to be strong and tough, like their father. Margaery was proud to be their mother, proud to be Stannis's wife. But, sometimes, when she could hear Stannis talking with Ser Davos, Jon, Renly about the war to come, a shiver was running up and down her spine and she wished he had never been king. She wishes they would have lived in Storm's End, or Dragonstone, she would not care, but in peace, far from the court and the traitors. Far from the war. But, deep inside, she knows Daenerys would do anything to win the throne, including burning every castle on her way. The eastern enemy and the northern one. How many more dead will there be before the realm would be declared in peace and prosperous? she had asked Stannis one night, after they executed Jaime Lannister. Stannis had sighed and whispered "Thousands". His answer, cold and heartless, had made her shiver but she knew he was right. She had thought of Jaime Lannister: they had found him next to Cersei and their children's bodies. He had a trial, not saying a single thing for his defense. Something looked broken in him. He was condemned for his crimes, and Stannis gave him the choice: his life, or the Wall. Only then, a sound had escaped his throat. A loud snort, ringing out in the town, where every man, woman and child had come to see him fall. He had turned to Stannis, and had stared at him, his emerald eyes shining with arrogance.

"The Wall? Do you think I would agree to go North, being cold to death and defend you? You, and them?" he had nodded at the people standing in front of him. "You have spit on me, and my family, from the very beginning. Smiling fakely to my face, and calling me 'Kingslayer' behind my back. I saved you all, when I killed Aerys. But don't worry, I didn't do it for you. I did it for myself. I did it because he had asked my father's head. I wouldn't have cared that you burn all with wildfire. You deserved it. What do you think Stannis? One day, they'll turn their back at you, one day, you'll be hated and betrayed, just like Cersei. Now, tell him", he nodded again at the man standing next to Stannis, his face covered, an axe in his hand, "to do his duty. I'm joining the only woman I've ever loved. As for you", he glared at Stannis and spit on his shoes, "here's what I think of you."

The King had blemished a bit when he had done this, and the crowd had growled like a single man. The executioner had gotten closer but Stannis had held him back with a single movement. He had grabbed Lightbringer and had beheaded Jaime in a swift movement.

Margaery is brought back to the moment by Stannis standing up. He pulls her close and hugs her tight. She smiles and slips her hand in his, leading him to their bed:

"Come and give me another son", she whispers as she lies down naked on the sheets.

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A few weeks later, panic spreads in the capital: Daenerys Targaryen has left Mereen to attack King's Landing. Euron and Victarion Greyjoy, Asha's brothers, have joined her. Some say the Vale knights are gonna fight by their side as well. Petyr Baelish has not accepted the marriage of Sansa Stark with a son of Doran Martell. Stannis has ordered that the civilians leave the capital, in order to protect them, and be kept safe by the Lords surrounding it. The making of war machines had sped up. Stannis had posted, all along the battlements, ballistas, able to kill the dragons. Men were formed to use them and he had explained them one of the dragons's weak points was their eyes. "Blind a dragon and he wouldn't know if he kills his allies or his enemies. He could easily kill himself by flying on a wall with all his speed", he had told his advisors. Still, he thinks of proposing Daenerys peace. The dragons could be useful against the army of the dead, even though he highly doubts she would agree. She would mount her dragon, Drogon, the black one, the greatest in evil and size. People say Tyrion Lannister is at her side. Every day and every night, guards keep the castle. Daenerys will not attack at night; she will want the whole capital seeing her dragons burning and destroying King's Landing. Stannis doesn't know the exact amount of her forces, but she has the Unsullied, the Dothrakis and the Greyjoys brothers. He knows they don't come here to take King's Landing but to kill their niece, his sister-in-law. Victarion would have not forgotten or forgiven how Stannis smashed their fleet when Balon Greyjoy rebelled for the first time.

Every night, when sun sets, Margaery sighs with relief. Another day in peace, she thinks. She spends most of her days scrutinising the sea, dreading the moment when she will see the first sails, and hear the dragons' terrible roar. Today, Stannis joins her and the children, playing, innocents, with wooden swords. They welcome their father with hugs and he joins Margaery at the window. He whispers:

"Everything is ready..."

She looks at him, anguish clearly marking her face.

"If the city falls..."

She begs him, shaking her head:

"Please, don't..."

"If the city falls", he says again, not moved by her begs. "Davos would sneak you all out of the town."

"Then what?" she asks, a bit angry. "If you're killed, Daenerys will become Queen. She will track us, where would we hide? The whole realm will belong to her, nowhere will be safe for us! She... She... She will give your children to her dragons, and she will make me look at this. And if pain and sorrow don't kill me, her dragons will. She will kill Shireen, Gendry, everyone that ever supported you and the houses of this realm will be destroyed. So don't say the city will fall. Because the city will hold."

Stannis stares at her, his so young wife, so brave and precious. He cups his face and gives her a long kiss, smiling slightly when he hears the disgusted moans their children make. But Margaery doesn't smile. She kisses back passionately, and leads him out of the room, letting servants take care of their children. Holding his hand firmly in hers, she leads him to the first room she finds, slams the door behind them and undresses him quickly, feverishly shaking so much she has trouble unbuttoning his shirt. He takes her against the wall, roughly thrusting in her, making her cry out both in pain and ecstasy. He keeps her against his skin when they're done, their heart hammering against each other, their breaths short, her hand running in his hair and keeping him close. Then, as they are ready to go back to their children, the plaint of the alarm horns rings out in the city. Margaery and Stannis exchange a look and kiss a last time. Margaery runs to the children and leads all the wives of the court under the Red Keep, as Cersei has done months ago. Stannis grabs Lightbringer, wears his armour and joins his men on the battlements. Everyone is ready, staring at the blue sea, seeming so calm for now. Stannis checks on the ballistas and the arrows, remembering to his men the weak point of the dragons.

"The Unsullied don't use arrows. The Dothrakis neither. Their arrows are those bloody dragons! Kill the dragons and the town is saved. You've helped me taking this town: don't let her take it back!"

The men cheer at these words and Stannis stares at the first sails getting closer and closer from King's Landing.

Under the Red Keep, Margaery holds her children tightly. The silence makes her nervous. She almost wishes that the battle start soon. Some women of the court cry loudly, and she does her best to comfort them. She tells them how much their men are brave, how much Stannis is brave himself. She wishes she explains them how more many men Stannis has, but she knows they would not understand this. She had often spied on Stannis when he was with his small council. Sometimes, he would allow her to come and join, but not when they were talking about wars. She has known when Daenerys has sailed to Westeros, she has known when they first extracted dragonglass from Dragonstone, to make weapons out of it for the Others. And now, she feels useless, here in the middle of her court. She knows she is not a warrior like Brienne, but she wishes she would be at her husband's side now. She imagines his face if she gets out of here and joins him on the battlements and laughs out loud. The people here turn surprised at her and she bites her lip. She shouldn't be laughing. She eyes the door, knowing that if Davos comes there, it will be over. Her arms hold her children tighter.

Stannis knows, as how the army moves, that trying to treat with Daenerys is useless. He holds back a sigh: he has never wished all that. He doesn't wish to destroy the Targaryens, he has Targaryen blood himself. But Jon has chosen to go back to the Wall when everything is over, and Daenerys has to die now. He tells the archers to get ready, and suddenly, flying throught the clouds, the three dragons come out. Their cry is a terrible thing to hear, announcing death and despair. But Stannis, tho a bit shaken, doesn't lose his composure. He nods at the men holding the ballistas and the archers stretch their bows, after digging the heads in fire. Looking down, he can see Asha's fleet getting ready to attack her uncles. He gives order to wait, because if Asha's fleet is too close from Euron and Victarion's, they could aim their own ships. The dragons fly quickly to them and he suddenly gives the orders for the ballistas. The noise of all of them being launched is deafening. Stannis stares at the dragons but none of them looks hurt or injured. Stannis groans and pushes the man next to him out of the ballistas. The dragons yell with fury, and the soldier gives a weapon to Stannis, his hand shaking. He can see the silver hair of Daenerys on Drogon's back but he decides to aim at the green one. The dragon flights closer and closer to him and Brienne looks panicked that Stannis didn't shot yet. "Your Grace", she starts but Stannis shuts her up with a gesture of his hand. His eyes stare at the dragon's ones and Viserion opens his mouth wide. Stannis shots then and the weapon flies right in the dragon's mouth. He closes his mouth, but too late. He has a terrible cry, and flies straight up in the clouds, as if he was trying to escape the pain. The two other dragons fly to him, but he suddenly stops and falls in a tail spin, unmoving. When he crashes in the sea, the soldiers yell with joy. Stannis turns to the man he had pushed:

"That's how you do it."

He launches the ships of Asha and, as they sail, the archers throw their burning arrows on the Greyjoy's fleet. The other archers aim at the dragons's eyes. Mad with anger, they burn a whole bunch of men on eastern battlements. The yells of the men burning alive are terrible and Stannis grinds his teeth, encouraging his men to go on the fight. On the sea, Asha's ships crash terribly against the Greyjoy brother's ones. The green dragon fly down on them and burn five ships with a single spit of fire. Asha looks at her men jumping in Blackwater, while the others burn alive and sink. Euron takes the most of it to jump on her ship and he attacks her. She fights against him, their swords crashing against each others with terrible sound. She can hear the yells of the men, the fire of the dragons, but focuses on her fight with the man who killed her father.

The men panic when the dragons reach the battlements and starts eating and burning soldiers. Stannis yell at them to kill them and three ballistas shoot Rhaegal on the neck, the flank and the back. He dies almost instantly, falling in the sea like his brother with a huge splash, destroying Greyjoy's brothers in his fall. Stannis hears the awful yell of Daenerys and she aims Drogon right at him. The men shoot dozens of arrows but they bounce on him and Stannis jumps down when he tries to grab him in his mouth. He feels the hot breath of the dragons on the back of his neck and jumps up on his feet when he passes. "Kill her! Kill her!" he yells, Drogon needing to turn back at them. Daenerys is vulnerable now, the giant head of her dragon not protecting her anymore. The arrows fly in the sky, hiding the sun for a moment. They touch the dragons, piercing his wings and he shouts. Stannis stares at him, and suddenly, the silver hair comes off the black dragon and fall in the city. Drogon tries to grab her back but he can't, and he flies back to Stannis's army. He is stopped a few moments before burning them by a ballista flying right through his skull and he falls down, destroying houses when he crushes on them. The men yell with relief and Asha and Euron stop fighting suddenly, as they hear the victorious shouts. Euron glances at her and digs his sword in her belly. She is surprised by the sudden pain and slits his throat, while holding her belly. She falls on the ground and her men take her away. Victarion, fighting with his own men, sees his brother dying and notices the dragons are not flying anymore. He turns to his men: "Leave! Leave now! The battle is lost!" They sail away, the Dothrakis ships following them.

Under the Red Keep, the women can't stop crying as they hear the sound of the battle. Margaery's children stare at her, cuddling into her, and she swallows hard. An awful sound of something big and hugely loud crashing next to the Red Keep make them yell with fear, but Margaery holds back a smile: a dragon has just died. It can't be anything else but the dragon. She doesn't know how long the battle lasts, but it's almost sunset when the door opens. The whole women gasp at the same time: Loras comes in, his hair in a mess, soot all over his face, holding his arm with a wince.

"It's over", he sighs, out of breath.

Margaery needs a moment to understand and she stands up slowly, then rushes to him and holds him tight. He yelps with pain:

"Easy, sister"

She moves away and sees his arm:

"What happened?"

"I got burnt by one of the dragons", he winces with pain.

"You need to be healed", she protests.

"Many men need to be healed before I do. I'll be fine, Margaery, don't worry for me..." he turns to the women. "You can come out, there is no more danger."

They walk out and gasp when they see the big dragon's corpse, lying dead in the middle of the town. Not far by him, Daenerys lies, dead too. Margaery hides her children's eyes and walks, looking for Stannis. She finds him by Asha's side, a maester trying to heal her.

"Oh no, Asha", she exclaims and rushes to her. Her belly is bleeding severely and Stannis turns to her. She hugs him tight, kisses him.

"The maester doesn't know if she will make it", Stannis sighs.

"Where is Renly?" Margaery asks.

"He has gone with the fleet to chase what's left of Daenery's army. They fled when the dragons had been killed."

She sighs and holds Asha's hand tight.

Petyr Baelish had led his army to King's Landing, but, unwilling to risk his life for nothing, he had decided to wait for the battle to take place before attacking or not. He had seen the dragons falling, one after another, and decided to leave back to the Vale. Daenerys was nothing to him, and he knows any hopes of having Sansa back is now dead.

Renly and the rest of Asha's fleet decide to let the Unsullied sail back to Essos, but would not let the Dothrakis alone. The danger is too great, now they've sailed first time in Westeros, that they would come back. Soon, they'll have another Khal, and he can wish to fulfil Drogo's wish. Fortunately, the Dothrakis are not good sailors and they attack the ships, burning them down with arrows. The men escape the sinking ship by jumping in the sea, but none of them know how to swim and, when the sounds have died, that the last ship has sunk, Renly sails back to King's Landing, during the night.

As the Knights of the Vale stop at night to get some rest and to eat, Petyr leaves in his tent. A servant comes in and prepares a bath for him: she has auburn hair, like Catelyn and Sansa. He undresses and, as she pours more water in it, he grabs her wrist to make her get in the bath too. But she swiftly escapes and, before he knows it, she's standing behind him, a knife on his throat.

"Shout and you're dead", she groans.

He raises his hands to calm her down and softly says:

"You are right, young girl. Totally right... I shouldn't have done it. I admit it."

The girl laughs out loud:

"You could have never raped me. You betrayed my father, you betrayed my mother, you played with my sister as if she was a toy to you. But now, you're not playing with anyone else."

He looks up at her and, horrified, he sees her grabbing the skin of her own neck and pulling her face out, revealing a black haired girl, looking down at him. His eyes narrow:

"Who are you?"

She smirks slightly:

"You've betrayed so many people you can't remember all their names?... I am Arya Stark. My father died because of you, my mother died because of you."

He stays still a moment and suddenly tries to grab a razor not far from his hand but Arya is quicker and slits his throat in a swift movement. The water turns red as she stares at his bath, a slight smile roving on her lips.


	38. Chapter 38

305 AC, King's Landing

As soon as they hear about Littlefinger's death, Stannis and his council start discussing with Robert Arryn, Jon Arryn's only son and heir to the Vale. Stannis remembers when Jon had asked him to foster his child, worried about Lysa's influence on the boy. Stannis had accepted but then Jon died and everything happened. Robert is not hard to convince: they tell him about the Others, the war to come and ensure him a marriage with Jeyne Goodbrook, daughter of one of the Tullys' bannermen. He accepts, and wishes to marry as soon as Jeyne would have bled. They are still both very young, but you don't live old in Westeros. As soon as you are able to conceive a child, you marry.

The preparation of the battle is almost over, and they are ready to head north. Dragonglass have totally been extracted from Dragonstone, after long months doing so. The weapons are ready, mostly spears and daggers. The last Valyrian swords are all between the hands of the ones who will go fight the Others. In King's Landing, small folks are worried: although prosperity is back, the threat of the weird army of the dead breaking the wall and spreading through Westeros, killing everyone and everything alive is dreadful. Stannis is seen as a tough but fair king, different from Robert. More serious, less lovable. One of the first decisions he wanted to make was to outlaw prostitution, as he has done on Dragonstone. But his whole counsel had warned him not to do it: the people needed their distractions, they said. He has never understood how paying someone to have sex was a distraction but, as a king different than Robert, he had listened to them. Margaery was the only one supporting him, but it was not enough. He had though stated some rules: the violent clients would be banished from all the brothels, the price they had to pay would be higher, and there would be inspections to be sure the girls were treated well. As he had foressen with Margaery, he then made peasants from Highgarden come to King's Landing to learn about their ways of farming. The soil was not the same of course, but, still, they learnt a lot and have been soon able to produce their own fruits and vegetables. Highgarden would remain the leader of Westeros's farming, but, at least, if a famine would break out, they could face it.

Stannis had also found the gigantic debt of the Crown to the Braavos Bank and had promised he would pay back every silver stag. It is not difficult: Robert's and Cersei's lifestyles had been money pits, and Stannis doesn't have this lifestyle. He keeps living simply, with Margaery and the children, and they dismiss half of the personal servants of the previous Queen. They spend less money in food and wine, less money in dresses and clothes, and soon, the bank of Braavos sees the difference. They tho would near years to payback them.

The council decides to leave to the north at the end of the month. Everyone and everything has to get ready. Stannis has to tell the children, and they're very distressed at the idea of seeing their father leaving again, for a far more dangerous war than all the others he had been in. At night, Stannis joins Margaery and, as she is curled up against him, her fingers dreamily drawing the veins of his wrist, she absentmindedly asks:

"How long will you be gone?"

His own fingers are brushing her shoulders, and he turns his face to her:

"I am not sure. It depends of so many things. Probably a year, I'd say."

She looks shocked but doesn't say anything, simply nods. He stares at her, willing to hear her talk about it, about her fears, but she remains silent. He frowns slightly:

"Why do you ask me that, Margaery?" he softly asks.

She looks up at him, her hands moving to his face and stroking it gently:

"I'll be alone again", she whispers.

"Al-" he stops, suddenly understanding. His lips curl in a huge grin:

"You are with child?"

She nods, but doesn't look happy:

"Margaery… what is it?" he asks again.

"I am scared", she sighs, burying her face in his neck and smelling him. "Scared that you won't come back. Scared that I'll deliver alone, scared that you'll never know this child, scared of losing you, of losing my brothers…"

He runs a hand in her hair and enjoys the contact of her smooth hair on his skin:

"I know you are scared. I am too. But I cannot stay in King's Landing when I know what's happening up north. I have fought to take this kingdom, I cannot let it be destroyed because I am scared. We all are. We all know some of us won't come back. I love you, and I love my children, all of them. But if the price to pay to save the Kingdom, and you, is my life, then I'll happily give it away."

Margaery looks at her husband, and breaks down crying. She is still young, she is too young to live so terrible times. She should be happy, they all should be. Stannis feels sorry; he wishes things would be different. He holds her close and whispers in her ear:

"You need to be strong, for the children. For all of them", his hands touches her still flat belly.

Margaery nods, still crying. But she is tired of being strong, tired of hiding her tears and her sadness. As if it would stop the children from worrying. They all know what's going on, even Shireen, in Dorne, knows. She writes to her father quite often, but the letters she sends to Margaery are filled with questions and anguish. Sometimes, Margaery wonders if Stannis realizes what he represents for them, and how much they love him. She calms down little by little, and drifts off to sleep. Stannis stares at her for long minutes before falling asleep in turn.

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They are all waiting, standing in front of the sea. The men are still, the wind makes the sails moving slightly. Margaery is holding Marnis's hand on a side, and Ryanne's one on the other. Little Davos is standing a bit apart, his face grave. He knows that, if his father dies, he'll be king. Margaery looks at him, standing straight in front of the soldiers. A five years old boy, a five years old prince. His dark hair and his blue eyes are his father's, and his mother has always wondered if Stannis looked like that, when he was a boy. Cressen has told her Davos was more cheerful than his father has ever been. But today, no smile enlightens the boy's face. Stannis walks to them, and Margaery lives again the farewell to the battle. She stares at him, as if she was scared to forget his face, his features. He stares back at her, and she wonders if he's doing it for the same reasons. He pulls her in a tight embrace, and she closes her eyes, holding back her tears, wrapping her slender arms around his armor. They don't exchange a single word: he kisses Marnis, Ryanne and stands longer in front of Davos. He bends on him and whispers something in his ear, the boy nodding gravely. The King gets on the boat where Ser Davos is already waiting for him. The whole population has stopped working to bid farewell to their army. Stannis tries to smile at them, and greets them as the ships sail away. Once it has disappeared, the smallfolks get back to their occupations, and Margaery gets back in the Red Keep with her children.

The sea is calm and the winds favorable. They would tho need weeks before reaching Eastwatch, and then maybe have to wait for the armies of the North to join them there, by horses. The Greyjoys and Renly would be there too, the trip by sea would have been too long for them. Asha and Renly would drop anchor opposite Bear Island, and would join Eastwatch by horses as well. They took as many ships as possible, just in case it didn't turn out well and they'll have to bring back more injured men they thought. Stannis had stopped counting how many men would join them. Probably more than 100,000. The whole North had been the first to join, as the Others were threatening them first. The Knights of the Vale had been the one spared by the battles with Littlefinger's schemes, and of course, Stannis's army joined in. Tonight, Ser Davos joins Stannis, standing on the bow of the ship, his eyes staring at the horizon.

"Your Grace", Davos greets to warn him of his presence.

"Ser Davos", Stannis greets back, not moving.

"The ships are moving fast, your Grace. The elements are with us", Davos says, crossing his arms in his back, playing with his gloves.

Stannis nods slowly:

"I hope so, Ser Davos. Any deserters yet?"

Davos gives him a surprised look:

"No, your Grace", he frowns. "Why would they desert?"

"Fear, Davos, fear. Fear is what makes men walk, or run back. The fear of dying, the fear of being killed. Everyone is scared, in one way or the other", he goes on.

"What are you scared of, your Grace?" Davos asks his king.

"And you?" he retorts, and Davos holds back a smile: Stannis was no confiding man.

"Ah… I am old. But I am scared, you're right. I'm scared that my sons die, that my wife dies. I'm scared of never seeing them again."

Stannis nods silently.

"I suppose you feel the same", Davos hesitantly says, unsure of the King's reaction.

Stannis just nods, not even looking at him. He has changed, since he knows Margaery. He would have never admitted his fears, before. He had grown a soft side, not showing it to everyone of course, but even to his soldiers, he was not as harsh as before. Davos watches him proudly: he remembers this day when he smuggled in Storm's End castle. He did not believe in destiny, but he did believe he probably made the best decision of his life on this day. When they started planning on the attack on the wall, Davos had insisted he wanted to be a part of it. Stannis had refused. " _When the King is absent, it is his Hand who is in charge of the realm_ ", he had repeated. Davos had besieged him to let him go with him to Eastwatch. " _I'll bring one more ship of my own_ ", he had claimed, " _and will go back to King's Landing once you leave for the Wall. But, please, let me go with you_ ". The king had hesitated and finally given in. Back on the boat, Stannis turns to him and nods:

"I am going to sleep. Make sure to establish the watch. Wake me up if there is anything."

Davos bows at him:

"Goodnight, your Grace."

Stannis nods and walks to his cabin.

Several weeks after they had left the capital, they eventually drop anchor at Eastwatch. The Greyjoys are here, well Asha is, with her men. Theon has remained in Pyke. He would have not been really useful anyways. Renly greets his brother when he gets off his ship. Stannis smiles slightly:

"How is my nephew?" he asks.

"He's great, thank you", Renly replied with a broad grin.

They had to wait to attack the Others, as Asha had been pregnant and she wanted to fight by their side. They had left Pyke when their son, Rydon, was only one month old. Renly had made the choice of leaving to the Iron Islands with his wife, as Gendry and Arya ruled Storm's End. Stannis looks over all this men gathered together: all the banners were mixing up. Starks, Greyjoys, Baratheons, Tullys. The only ones not here yet were the Knights of the Vale. Stannis warns everybody to not settle here: they need to move North as quickly as possible. He is tired of all these battles and wants to end it soon. Jon and he have a long talk about what they can fear from the North: bears, mammoths, giants. They had brought here the weapons they had used to kill the dragons, as well as wildfire, to destroy the Others. Stannis is scared, but also confident they could beat them. He gathers Jon, Renly, Asha, Davos, Oberyn, and all the ones who have Valyrian swords.

"We need to focus on the Others", he explains. "As for the Wights, the fire will burn them, but our men can beat them. They cannot focus on the Others. Common blades can't kill them. Only Valyrian swords can. Jon, how many of them are there?"

Jon stares at the map unfolded on the wooden table:

"It is difficult to say. Maybe ten. Maybe less, maybe more. We can beat them. I know we can."

Stannis nods at the horn near the map:

"And what about that?"

Jon stares at the King:

"We need to make the wall collapse."

Oberyn gasps:

"If we do that, nothing will protect us from the Others anymore!"

"All magic has to disappear if we want to defeat them", Jon states. "The wall is made of magic."

Stannis is staring at them, silent. He takes the horn in his hand: how can a so simple object have so many power… He looks at Jon:

"The thing is, the one who blows the horn dies, or turns into a Wight, am I correct?"

Jon nods. Oberyn snorts:

"So we need a martyr?"

"We need to find a man willing to do it", Stannis says. "Willing to sacrifice himself for the good of millions others."

Jon interrupts him:

"I'll do it."

Everybody turns to him and stares at him:

"No, Jon", Renly starts.

"I have taken my decision."

Stannis walks to him:

"We will need you, north to the wall. You are a great swordsman, we will need you."

"The Night's Watch is filled with rapists and murderers. One will maybe try to save his soul", Oberyn proposes.

"We will ask their Lord Commander", Stannis states and dismisses everyone. Jon stays in the tent:

"I will not come back", he whispers, and Stannis doesn't really know if he's talking to him or to himself. His eyes are staring at the ground, his dark locks almost completely hiding his face.

"What do you mean?" Stannis frowns slightly.

Jon's eyes lock into Stannis's:

"I am gonna die there. I can feel it. That's why I wanted to blow the horn."

Stannis walks closer to him and lays a hand on his shoulder:

"You are not gonna die. We are going to survive this war, and we will then talk about your future. The Night's Watch will not exist anymore if the Wall collapses."

"Your Grace, why not moving this order to simple castles, just a bit southern but not that much. The North is wide, I don't think a man could explore it fully, should he spends his life doing so", Jon proposes.

Stannis nods slowly:

"But you", he points at him. "Your place is in Dragonstone. You are a Targaryen, Jon, even though you've been raised as a Stark. You need to have a wife, heirs. If Margaery gives me other children, I thought maybe we could unite our houses."

Jon stands straight, listening to his King, but he slightly smiles:

"I have loved only one woman in my life, your Grace. I don't think anyone could replace her."

"We will see, once we get back to Westeros. You can leave, Lord Targaryen", Stannis slightly smiles in turn.

Jon bows and walks out of the tent.

The Knights of the Vale arrive two days later, and the following morning, the whole army, the most numerous army Stannis has ever seen, ride North. Davos watches them leaving, sighing softly as he fears he will never see his king again. Once the last man has disappeared in the Northern fog, Davos gets on his ship, alone, and sails back to King's Landing.

 _AN: Unsure whether I will write the details of the battle, but highly improbable. Don't hate me please xo_


	39. Chapter 39

_King's Landing_

Davos's chest rises up and down painfully, and he glanced one last time backwards. In front of him, King's Landing is proudly standing, the sun shining bright. On the embankment, Margaery and her children are waiting for him. He tries to smile at them as the captain manoeuvers his ship to come alongside it. He exhales loudly before jumping off the boat. Margaery greets him:

"Ser Davos. How was your journey?"

"It was good, your Grace, thank you."

His eyes can't help but slowly looking down at her belly. How many weeks had he spent at sea? Her bump was discreet but no doubt was possible: she was pregnant. Margaery chuckled seeing his face, and slipped her arm under his:

"Maester Cressen says it's gonna be a boy", she whispers, as she leads him to the Red Keep, her children following them.

"I hope he's right, your Grace", Davos replies with a slight smile.

He thinks about his King, lost up North, surrounded by enemies; ding his duty, as he has always done. He should be here, he thinks. He should live this pregnancy with his wife, rule over his Kingdoms, be the good king he has been since he took the throne. And even before that. He had made mistakes, of course, who doesn't? But he is a good man. Davos wouldn't have followed a bad man, a mad man. He looks at the children, now running in front of him. Stannis had been there only for the twins. He will miss this pregnancy as well. The hand of the King sighs: he would like to stop worrying. Margaery gives him an inquiring look:

"How is the King?" she asks.

"He's ready, your Grace", he simply says.

The Queen nods slowly, and she leads Davos in the Red Keep.

Life goes on in King's Landing: they have no news from Stannis, but that doesn't really worry them. The weather in the North must be terrible, and ravens might have difficulties flying, or they might be losing their tracks. Davos and Margaery rule together: they become close to each other, and rumours spread in the capital she has replaced Stannis with him. They know it would be useless to put an end to the rumours: reacting to those would make people feel they're right. But it still hurts Margaery a lot, that her people see her as a cheater and a bad queen. She spends lot of time trying to help the poor, she visits the hospices, and she receives the small folk in the red keep. Most people love her, for her kindness and her smart decisions. Other whisper her intelligence is only matched by her ambition. But how could she raise higher? She is the Queen, the most powerful woman in Westeros. She has sons, who will rule after her and Stannis. Her future will be bright and happy, if Stannis defeats the White Walkers.

She stops receiving people during the last month of her pregnancy. Stannis is still absent, no one has seen them, even in Winterfell. How can it be that long? She wonders, sighing with anguish as her hand strokes slowly her bump, following the movements of her baby. The children can't stop asking where their father is, and the letters she exchanges with Shireen are filled with questions and fear. Stannis's eldest daughter decides to come and visit her mother-in-law. When she arrives from Dorne, Margaery is very close to give birth, and is not here to welcome her. Davos is, although, and he smiles huge when he sees Shireen. He's stroke by how she had grown up. He walks as close as he can, waiting for the boat. She waves at him with one arm and it's only then he notices the bundle she's holding with her other arm. His heart flinches a bit, tears fill his eyes. The little princess, not so little now, steps on the embankment and smiles huge at Davos. He walks to her, his eyes unable to look at something else that the little bundle, now fidgeting a bit. Shireen hugs him tight with her free arm and smiles softly:

"Ser Davos", she greets him.

"Princess Shireen", he greets her back.

He suddenly hugs her tightly, as tightly as he allows himself to, knowing about the baby. How much she has changed since the last day he saw her, when she left on a boat to Dorne, to marry her prince. She laughs with his hug, but embraces him tight as well. They have lived so much together. Davos is her father's most faithful companion, and she has not forgotten what he has done for him, and for her. After a long moment, Davos pulls back and says, his voice strangled with emotion:

"You're a mother now."

The young princess smiles huge, and moves the cover of the baby's face. Davos stares at it and suddenly appears a beautiful infant, with a tanned skin and hair as black as coal. The Hand gasps with marvel.

"He's beautiful", he whispers, leaning over the baby.

Shireen laughs heartily:

"It's a girl. We called her Selira."

"May I?" he asks her, opening his arms.

"Of course", Shireen smiles and places the baby in the man's arms.

Davos has always been fond of children, and he feels this little girl is a bit of his own daughter. He rocks her gently, and she opens her eyes. His heart skips a bit: he feels like he's looking at his King's own eyes.

"Oh", he awes. "What a beauty you are gonna be", he whispers but Shireen hears and smiles cheekily. "Selira" he whispers again, getting used to the name.

"After my mother", Shireen explains and Davos nods slowly.

"She would be proud, princess. Very proud of you."

She smiles and turns to the Red Keep:

"Where is the Queen?"

"She is close to give birth. Cressen said it would be more careful that she'd stay inside."

Shireen nods:

"I understand. I was unable to move the last times of my pregnancy", she laughs.

"Why did you not tell us about it?" Davos asks, not hiding his reproachful tone.

"Father was about to leave and I didn't want to worry him", she explains. "And, once he had gone, well, I wanted to make a surprise. I guess last times were hard to handle, so I wanted to bring you a bit of joy"

"I understand", Davos nods and they keep walking.

Margaery squeals so loud when she sees Shireen with her baby that she makes her cry out with fear. The Queen apologises profusely, and holds the baby close to reassure her. Davos stays with them, when they talk about babies, lactation, husbands. He doesn't care that he cannot participate in such a talk: he stares at these two women, two truly beautiful women. Growing up has suited Shireen, she was prettier than when she was a little girl. But what counts the most was the beauty of their souls, their kindness to each other, and the love they share. Margaery asks Shireen for how long she can stay here, and she replies that she had told her husband she would be gone for a month. Quentyn couldn't come with her, he needed to stay at Sunspear and rule over his land. Davos silently hopes Stannis would be back within a month.

Margaery's labour starts two days later, in the middle of the night. A servant comes to wake the Hand up, arguing Margaery has asked for him. She probably doesn't want to be alone, he thinks as he dresses up quickly, and follows the servant, running with her. He comes in the room, and sits on the bed where Margaery is lying, her face deformed by the pain she is feeling. She grabs his hand and squeezes it tight. The whole room is pretty silent, and Davos feels something is wrong. He turns to Cressen:

"When will the baby be born?" he asks.

The old master gives him a sorry look, and glances at Margaery:

"Speak freely", she orders.

"The baby is not well placed. There is a solution but..." he looks at Margaery.

"Speak", she repeats after she exhaled loudly.

"I cannot save both of them. I cannot save the Queen", he tells Davos, unable to look at Margaery straight in her eyes.

Davos stays in shock after his words. He understands completely what it means, he just cannot believe it.

"Are you sure?" he insists.

"I have tried everything I could do", Cressen sadly says. "I am sorry..."

Davos turns to the Queen, his eyes filling with tears.

"Davos... my good Davos..." she whispers, and he can say how exhausted she is.

"My apologies, my Queen. I need to be quick..." Cressen looks down.

She nods and he hands her a phial:

"Milk of the poppy", he explains.

She downs the phial and she stares at Davos. He remembers the first day he has seen her, how pedantic she had been. He would never think he would love her so much. She had made Stannis happy. Gods, Stannis... Davos could not imagine the sorrow he would feel when he'll come back in King's Landing and find himself a widower. Tears fall on his cheeks, and he feels a soft stroke on his cheek. He looks at Margaery: she is dying, and she is the one solacing her. He feels ashamed, and weak. Davos holds her hand tight:

"Forgive me, my Queen", he says.

"There's nothing to forgive, Ser Davos. Please, bring the children. All of them", she precise and Cressen nods.

"Rightaway."

He leaves quickly and Margaery swallows hard:

"Davos... Don't let Stannis... Don't let him hate the baby... Do you understand?"

He nods quickly and winces of pain turns into winces of fear on the young Queen's beautiful face.

"I don't want to die", she sobs loudly.

Davos is crying now, and nothing could stop him. He strokes her hair:

"I don't want you to die, my Queen."

"I have chosen the names", she sobs again, before crying out with pain. "It hurts so much... Make it stop!"

He gives her more milk of the poppy and tries to distract her from the pain ripping her guts.

"Tell me the names you have chosen, my Queen."

She calms down a bit, swallows hard. Her eyes have dark circles under them, and her skin is pale as the moon standing in the sky.

"Strella, and... and... Leyton" she exhaled after a long hesitation, and Davos fears she is gonna die now. Cressen needs to come back with the children quickly now.

The door opens suddenly, and Davos sees the children coming in, as well as Shireen. She understands as soon as she sees Margaery and dissolves into tears:

"No, no..." she cries, and Stannis's children start crying in turn.

"Kiss your mother", Cressen says.

They all come to her, and Davos moves away, still crying, as he looks at little Davos, Ryanne and Marnis embracing their mother, sobbing loudly.

"It's fine, children... It's fine... I..." Margaery weakly says. "I wish... so much... I could have been here for you all... to see you marry... have children of your own..." her eyes look at Shireen and she slightly smiles. "Being your mother, to all of you", she says again, looking at Shireen, "has been the pride of my life... I love you all, never forget it."

"We love you too, Mother", Ryanne sobs and buries her face in her mother's neck. Little Davos has stopped crying and is just staring at her mother, in shock, unable to do or say anything. Marnis crawls on the bed next to Margaery:

"Don't die, mummy", he whimpers, his eyes red with tears.

Margaery sobs loudly and pulls him close:

"I'm sorry to leave you", she whispers at him.

Cressen pats Davos's shoulder and they make the children leave, Davos shutting his eyes tight as the yells of Marnis calling out at his mother ring out in the Red Keep. Margaery is crying her eyes out, and Cressen swiftly opens her belly to deliver the baby. Davos holds her hand and closes his eyes when she yells with pain. Blood floods out as fast as life leaves her. She weakly whispers:

"What is it?"

Cressen holds the yelling baby in his arms and quickly show it to Margaery:

"It's a girl, your Grace."

She nods, kisses the baby and turns to Davos:

"Don't let him hate her."

He nods, and the grip of her hand in his weakens suddenly. He looks at her, and sees in her eyes that the light of life has faded away.

The next morning, he is trying to solace the children, the best he can, when Cressen comes in the room with a letter. Davos takes it and pales when he sees the seal. _Stannis_... The letter is addressed to Margaery. If she had held on a few more hours... He opens it, his hands shaking.

"My Queen,

Please forgive me that I haven't written to you sooner. The battle has been terrible, but I'll tell you about everything when I'll be with you. I am alive and well. I will see you soon."

The letter stops like that. It has obviously been written hastily. The news of her father coming back just make the children weep harder.

 _Blackwater Bay, two weeks later_

Standing on his ship, Stannis sees, as a relief, King's Landing getting closer and closer with each wave. He smiles as he sees people waiting for him on the embankment. He cannot see who is here, but he sees children and grownups for sure. He gapes slightly when he sees a bundle, in a woman's arms. Margaery should have given birth now. He hopes she has waited for him to name the baby. He orders that the ships stop: he would join the land on a small boat. He gets in one, with some of his men and Loras, and they start rowing. "Faster", Stannis groans after a few moments. He wants to be with his family now. He has fought, he has won, now he wants to leave in peace in King's landing and rules the country the best he can. The men obey and, soon, he's able to see Davos. He smiles, but he loses his smile almost rightaway. He doesn't see Margaery. The woman holding the bundle is Shireen. His grip on the boat tightens: he's a grandfather now. When he's close enough, he jumps on the embankment, not waiting for Loras. Davos whispers something to the children, and walks to him. Stannis notices the pale face, the red eyes. He looks behind him, and sees the children snuggling around Shireen.

"My King", Davos says.

His voice is weird, as if he was about to cry. Stannis doesn't understand. He looks around him, he looks behind Davos and asks:

"Where is the Queen?"

Davos doesn't answer. Why does he not answer? Anger and fear run through Stannis's veins, make his heart hammering in his chest.

"My King..." Davos starts but Stannis doesn't want to hear him.

"Where is she?!" he bellows and suddenly punches Davos hard. The man fall on the ground and the children gasp with fear. When Davos turns to the King, he is crying. Stannis realises. And the words Davos say are useless.

"She is dead", he sobs hard. "In childbirth."

As Loras helps Davos standing up, Stannis stays still, staring at the little baby Shireen is holding in her arms. He grinds his teeth, licks his lips with his tongue several times:

"What is it?" he asks with a surd voice.

"A girl, your Grace. Strella."

Davos is by his side, but he feels like he's a million miles away from him. He is devastated, he does not show it, but his world is collapsing around him. He sees the Sept, standing in the middle of the city, and he suddenly walks towards it. Davos wipes the blood from his lip, and tries to stop him. But Stannis pushes him violently, grabs a horse and rides there. Davos calls at him, but it's useless. He doesn't even hear. He spurs his horse, violently, and, when he reaches the Sept, he pulls on the reins violently. The horse neighs in protest, and Stannis gets off it quickly, rushes in the Sept. The Septon is here:

"Your Grace", he bows. "You..."

"Get out!" Stannis belows. "Leave! Now!" he points at the door.

The septon doesn't protest and leaves, letting the sept empty. Stannis would like to destroy it all. He looks at the Seven, these gods he has hated his whole life or so, since they took his parents. Now they took his wife. He steps forward to grab the statues, make them fall, smash the offerings. But, his legs weaken and he falls on the ground, in the middle of the Sept. Here, Margaery's face appears in his mind and he weeps, loudly, yelling and crying, letting go all the feelings he has suppressed for years. He clenches his fist, and punches the ground, until his knuckles are bleeding but he does not care. He does not feel pain; he does not feel blood on his hands. He just feels the sorrow of losing his wife, the mother of his children, his lover, his friend. He doesn't know how long he stays here, but his throat is sore and aching when he feels a hand on his shoulder, pressing it tightly. Without even looking up, he knows it is Davos. He places his hand on his, and keeps weeping.

When he feels able to stand up, they both go to the Red Keep. Stannis spends time with his children, and meets Selira, his first grandchild, as well as Strella, his daughter. He doesn't hold her, though, and just glances at her. When they all fall asleep, he meets Davos in his room.

"Do you want to talk about the battle?" Davos whispers.

Stannis nods: at least he will stop thinking about Margaery.

"It was... terrifying. Truly terrifying. We made the Wall collapsed and then... then they appeared. Some looked like men, some barely had skin left on their bones. They had giants too, they killed a lot of men, those ones. They almost got Renly, as well, but... I saved him."

He sips lemon water, leant forward, his arms on his knees. He looks old, Davos thinks.

"Where is Renly?" he dare asks.

"In Pyke, with his wife. Garlan Tyrell didn't make it, Jon neither."

"Jon?..." Davos pales. He has always liked the boy.

Stannis nods slowly:

"He was focusing on a White Walker when dozens of Wights attacked him. I couldn't do anything."

"Who else died?" Davos asks, scared of the answer.

"Almost all of the Wildlings, Oberyn..." he shook his head. "There were so many dead, I can't remember..."

"How did you win...?"

"We had wildfire, and we managed to kill the White Walkers with the Valyrian swords. I made sure that Longclaw got back to Lyanna Mormont. Strange things happened when I killed a White Walker: some wights suddenly collapsed, as dead as him. I don't know why but, well, it's over now", he sighs loudly.

"Are you sure they're all destroyed, my King?" Davos asks.

Stannis looks up at him, his hands making the cup roll between his fingers:

"There is nothing I'm sure of anymore."

A/N: we're reaching the end... Please let me know which character you want to hear about... I'm scared I forget about some


	40. Chapter 40

_Dorne, 316 AC_

A red sun rises in the blue sky of Sunspear. The whole living life looks like waking up at the same moment. The branches of the trees move slightly with the morning wind, the birds start singing, and the castle awakes slowly. King Stannis is up for a long moment already, and had watched the sunset from his chamber. Wearing a simple white shirt and pants as light as possible, he sips his lemon water. It has been ten years since he has conquered Westeros. He had gotten old suddenly: the black hair has been replaced by pepper and salt. His beard has turned thick and bushy. He has left King's Landing a few weeks ago, as Shireen was about to give birth to her fourth child. His own children were almost grownups now, and he had known he would leave without worrying about them. When he has arrived in Dorne, he had met Trystane Martell and Sansa. They have come to visit Quentyn and Shireen as well, before going back to Casterly Rock. At the end of the war, the Lannisters had been gone. No one ever knew why Tyrion has killed his father, but there were rumors he had walked on him sleeping with Shae, Tyrion's lover. People have said it has been the last straw for Tyrion and that, in a moment of madness, he had killed them both. As a repair for what Tywin had done to Elia Martell and to Sansa's family, Stannis gave them Casterly Rock. The small folks had been very unhappy with this decision but Trystane and Sansa had been good rulers ever since, and the tensions had calmed down.

He walks out of his chamber when he is sure everyone else is awake, taking with him some fruits. Stannis makes his way to Shireen's room, and he knocks slightly on the door. The sweet voice tells him to come in and he leans on the handle of the door. A smile enlightens Shireen's tired face when she sees it's her father. She holds her hand at his. Stannis winces slightly with embarrassment: she is breastfeeding her newborn. He still sits by her side, and smiles at her:

"How do you feel?"

The birth had been long and exhausting. It has been pretty unusual for a fourth child, but they both made it, mother and child.

"I'm very tired, but I have a lot of help, so I'm fine", she smiles. "Do you have news from the Capital?" she asks.

"I received a raven yesterday. Varys is dead. We have tracked him for years, and he was right under our nose, in Essos", he sighs wearily.

"Did you execute him?" Shireen asks, her deep blue eyes looking at the baby still suckling her breast.

"He was already dead since several months", Stannis shakes his head.

Shireen nods slightly and covers herself when the baby stops drinking.

"Do you want to hold him?" she asks him.

He nods and clumsily takes the baby in his arms. This one looks more like Quentyn than the others: his eyes are brown, and his hair looks more like Martell's than Baratheon's. Another knock on the door makes Stannis look up: Shireen's other children come in, and when they see their grandfather, they stop in their tracks. Selira, the eldest one, nudges her sister and whispers:

"Curtsy".

The two girls curtsey and greet Stannis:

"Your Grace."

He gives the baby back to Shireen and goes hug his grandchildren. He is happy to know them. Others didn't have this luck. Doran did not survive his brother long, and died when Shireen was pregnant with Selira. After his death, Quentyn tried to look for his mother and found her, in Norvos. The woman had not wanted to come back to Dorne but still tried to come as soon as possible. She is there, now, helping Shireen to cope with three children and a newborn. Shireen welcomes her children and they soon leave to play, after having a look at their brother. Shireen smiles as she watches them leave, and turns to her father:

"When will you leave?"

"In a week, I think", he answers.

She takes his hand and squeezes it tight, just like when she was a little girl. He gives her a surprised look and realizes she's about to cry.

"What is it, Shireen?" he asks, uncomfortable.

"I miss you Father", tears start rolling down her cheeks. "I know I couldn't have stayed with you forever but, I miss you."

His eyes turn dark with pain, the pain he feels of seeing her cry. He cups her face in his hands and lays a long kiss on her brow:

"No matter how many children you have, you are always going to be my little girl. Always. I miss you too when I'm in King's Landing, and your siblings miss you too."

She chuckles among her tears and smiles suddenly:

"Ryanne has written to me. Is it true?"

Stannis holds back a grin:

"Steffon?" he makes sure they are talking about the same thing.

Shireen nods fast and Stannis acquiesces.

"It is. I hope you could be there for the wedding."

"How did Ser Davos react?" she asks, her eyes shining, but not with tears anymore.

"Ah… His son is gonna marry the daughter of the King. He was pretty happy" he retorts and Shireen bursts out laughing.

"I bet he cried when he knew he was gonna be officially a part of your family", she teases him.

"I bet he did", he nods, smiling.

They look at each other and Shireen places the baby in his crib, next to her bed, before hugging her father tight.

"I love you, Father."

"I love you too, my daughter", he whispers, smelling the scent of her hair.

They stay closely embraced until Stannis feels Shireen releasing her arms, wrapped around him. He raises an eyebrow and realizes she has fallen back asleep. He lays her back down carefully, strokes her greyscaled cheek gently, lays a kiss on her brow and quietly leaves the room after a last look on his grandson.

It's already quite hot in Sunspear and everyone is already enjoying the freshness of the castle but the King is willing to have a stroll outside. He cannot help but admire the beauty of this place, the palm trees, the two huge towers which are the first sight everyone arriving in Sunspear has. Shireen has taken him to the Water Gardens, when he arrived, and he has been truly amazed by them. Walking out of the castle, he walks there, willing to have some time alone, by the fountains. The sun is burning now, and he feels sweat dripping between his shoulders. He thinks about Margaery, suddenly, wondering if she would have loved Sunspear. He gets in the Water Gardens, tired, his brain boiling in his head. He looks up and sees he's not alone. A young woman is bathing, naked, turning her back at him. Her brown hair cascades down over her kidneys. Stannis frown slightly: he knows this hair. He walks closer and a sudden pain in his arm freezes him. He falls on his knees, unable to breathe, and holds his hand at the woman bathing. He tries to talk, to call at her so she helps him but nothing happens. Pain radiates in his whole arm now and he suddenly yelps with agony. The woman turns around suddenly and Stannis's eyes widen with fear. The woman is Margaery. How can it be? She smiles at him, holds her hand towards his body. He closes his eyes, shakes his head: maybe he's just having a dream. But, when he opens his eyes, Margaery is still here, and the pain increases. Sweat burns his eyes and he whimpers. His wife's image leans on him, holding her hand out at him. He looks at her, losing himself in the beauty of her eyes, and he takes her hand.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _King's Landing, 320_

Ser Davos closes the book and stares at the children standing in front of him. All born thanks to Stannis. They have asked him to read the books the masters have written about Stannis's conquest of the throne, and he has just finished it. Now his eyes look at each face, little or big, sit in front of him. Their parents and they have all gathered in King's Landing for the fifteenth anniversary of Stannis's crowning. The lonely stag's heart had stopped beating in Sunspear, four years ago. When the news had been brought to him, Davos had really thought his heart was gonna stop as well. The sorrow had been unbearable. Of his death of course, but also of the fact he was not there with him. He should have been with his King, until the very end. He had to tell Stannis's children, and he'll never forget little Davos's face when he said the words. The boy had ran away when Davos had knelt in front of him and said, his voice strangled with sobs: "Long live the King".

Today, King Davos is 20, and his first child is one of those staring at Ser Davos. He was born from his marriage with Lyna Martell, daughter of Trystane and Sansa. They also had a son, Edan. Arya and Gendry had three children: Ned, Cat and Lia. In Pyke, Renly and Asha are ruling, with their three sons,

Rydon, Gavon and Rody. Ryanne had married Davos's own son, Steffon Seaworth, and had come to the capital from Cape Wrath. Marnis, her twin, is the husband of Lynelle Stark, daughter of Rickon Stark and Lyanna Mormont. The Lord of Winterfell has only girls: Lynelle is the eldest, then were born Branda, and Serena, the youngest. A few weeks ago, they had celebrated the wedding of Strella Baratheon, the last of Margaery and Stannis's children, with Hosden Tully, son of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey. And here they all are, still speechless after the story Davos had told them. He can't help chuckling seeing their faces, and he dismisses them. Near the door, Shireen is smiling at him. Her children pass by her and kiss her before joining the feast. Selira is a beautiful young lady now, and Davos remembers this time when he has seen her in her mother's arms, on this little boat. Elia, her sister, is following her closely. People say she looks a lot like the woman she has been named after. Then come the two sons, Talos and Lewyn. Lewyn is the baby Stannis had come to see when he died. Soon, the room is empty and the yells of the youngest ring out in the castle. Shireen slips her arm under Davos's one, by the badge of Hand of the king, proudly pinned on his heart, and they walk out to join the feast.

The End

A/N: I would like to thank you all for reading/reviewing this story. Thanks so much for the help I have received, especially Komninos. It has been pretty emotional to put an end to this story. I am also currently writing "West and east" and will soon start another story which will be called "Untamable". Again, don't hesitate to leave reviews about them. Thanks again for the time you have spent reading me, I hope it was as enjoyable for you as it was for me to write this story. I hope I have settled the fate of all the characters you wanted to hear about. Little Davos and Big Davos would make a good job together, I'm sure of that.


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